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In this month's update you will find:
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TONIGHT!!
INC Sustainability Committee
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Date: March 3rd
Time: 6-8pm
Where: Online on Zoom
Join us for an engaging Sustainability Committee meeting where we’ll kick things off with a welcome from our co-chairs and hear an insightful update on the state of Denver’s tree canopy from community experts at The Park People. We’ll then dive into a facilitated discussion to shape the committee’s goals and break into small groups to connect, share ideas, and brainstorm future meeting topics. The evening wraps up with creative thinking around neighborhood events and actions, followed by a relaxed Climate Action “Watercooler” to hear what’s happening where you live.
Come ready to learn, collaborate, and help grow sustainability in our neighborhoods.
RSVP HERE
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2026 INC Election Candidates
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Thank you to the following candidates who have stepped forward to run for the 2026 open positions on the INC Board — your willingness to lead strengthens our entire network. We’re excited for what promises to be an incredible year of opportunity for INC and Denver’s neighborhoods! Elections will be held March 14th at our first hybrid meeting of the year! In-person attendees please join us at the Montclair Civic Building (6820 E 12th Ave, Denver) at 9am.
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Position: President
Term: 2026-2028
Candidate: Judy Baxter
Historic Montclair Community Association
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Hello Denver INC Membership- My name is Judy Baxter and it is an honor to be running for the Denver INC officer position of President in this year’s election. My personal mission is to build and sustain community in all aspects of my life, with family and friends, in my neighborhood and larger community, and through my work. Being part of INC in one capacity or another since 2018, has been one way I have lived into my mission. I have been in four positions with INC, first as a Delegate from the Historic Montclair Community Association, where I now serve as president; in 2021, I became an At-Large Member on the INC board; in 2024, I became secretary; and most recently, in 2025, I became Vice President. I am now seeking the position of President, in part because I hope to be a resource to support INC in what I see as a major transition as the organization begins its next 50 years.
In all of these positions, what I bring is commitment to build a connected, informed and engaged community representing the diversity of Denver. I believe this means including the diverse neighborhoods of Denver at the table AND creating the space where these voices are elevated. Through its programming, INC holds a space where the city and its neighborhoods can learn about and advocate around matters of policy and planning. Importantly the Denver INC is a vehicle for building community, where, by creating opportunities to come together, neighborhoods have a chance to connect, to see and to be seen, thereby truly creating community.
I bring my energy and experience in conducting community research, leadership training and leading teams to this organization to live INC’s mission to promote engagement and connection. As part of INC, it has been meaningful for me to be a part of the effort to build a strong board and committee structure, a team holding a shared vision. I see INC as a constant and consistent resource for Denver Neighborhoods, where mayors and city council members change; INC has been here 51 years. It is an honor to be considered for this position.
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Position: Secretary
Term: 2026-2028
Candidate: Kelsey Gano
Mayfair Neighbors
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While embracing INC’s mission and goals, I am humbled to run for the position of Secretary and to offer my service to an organization that plays such a vital role in supporting Denver’s registered neighborhood organizations. I would approach this role with gratitude and professionalism.
As Secretary, I will ensure accurate record-keeping, transparent communication, and support the timely distribution of meeting materials so our members stay informed and empowered. I will also continue to build strong working relationships with the INC Executive Committee, member RNOs, sponsors, and community partners to help foster an organization we can all be proud of. The goals and plans of my own registered neighborhood organization closely align with INC’s priorities — including creating fresh and engaging opportunities for member involvement, serving as a valuable resource in partnership with the City and County of Denver, and strengthening relationships within neighborhoods and among neighboring RNOs.
As Secretary, I will work to ensure that information flows clearly and consistently between INC and its members. I will use what I learn and experience to keep my neighborhood and larger community informed, reinforcing the value and power of building strong networks and resources like INC so we all have a voice in shaping the neighborhoods and city we love.
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Position: At-Large
Term: 2026-2028
Candidate: LaMone Noles
East Denver Residents Council
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LaMone recently completed a one-year term as Vice President for Denver INC, during which she planned and moderated a Food Justice Panel and participated in the RNO Lab and the Annual INC Awards. She seeks to continue serving as an at-large delegate, with a focus on RNO community outreach and DEI-centered events.
A Denver native with deep roots in the Five Points community, LaMone comes from a family of residents and business owners dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. Her grandmother’s restaurant, The Green Lantern, was listed in the national Green Book, shaping LaMone’s lifelong understanding of the power of community connections.
LaMone holds a degree in business and retired after a 30-year federal career with the Department of Defense, Social Security Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She continues her public service through leadership roles with CPFAN, Greater Park Hill Community, the Northeast Park Hill Coalition, and the East Denver Residents Council, and remains committed to strengthening RNO outreach, training, and neighborhood voices across Denver.
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Position: At-Large
Term: 2026-2028
Candidate: Bill Hare
West Highland Neighborhood Association
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I have lived in Denver for ten years and have been a Board Officer with the West Highlands Neighborhood Association or Sunnyside United Neighbors since the year we arrived. I believe RNOs have a truly wonderful opportunity to enrich the lives of their residents. It’s not easy. I participated in some INC meetings many years ago but was disappointed in the impact they appeared to be making and believed my efforts were best served at the RNO level. In the past year I have been very impressed with INC’s leadership direction and the impact that direction is having, especially with the University of Denver and Aspen Institute partnerships. My areas of strongest interest and energy are the RNO legislation work, transportation committee (infrastructure) and facilitating best practices for RNOs (that the Leadership Summit has started). I believe now is a pivotal time for real strides to be made.
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Position: At-Large
Term: 2026-2028
Candidate: Shelby Drulis
Platt Park People's Association (3PA)
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Civic engagement has always been a part of my DNA. As a relatively new Denverite who moved here in 2021, getting involved in my RNO and other local groups helped me establish a diverse group of friends both in my neighborhood and across all of Denver, while also giving me the platform and tools to positively impact my community. I want to be a member of the INC Board to help provide that opportunity for others.
I am the current President of the Platt Park People's Association RNO (3PA), and recently I served as 3PA's representative on the West-East Neighbors United community group, which negotiated a Community Benefits Agreement with the Denver Summit FC ownership. In my spare time, I am an attorney specializing in Practice Management. I recently started working at the law firm Morrison & Foerster after spending the last 12 years at Hogan Lovells.
I demonstrated a passion for civic engagement at a young age by volunteering as an election worker in my suburban Philadelphia hometown before I was old enough to vote. While living in Washington, D.C. for undergrad and law school, I developed a strong appreciation for social justice, community-building, and public transit. After meeting my born-and-raised Coloradan wife while we were both living in DC, I moved to Denver in 2021 and found that the best way to build community in a new city was through volunteering and civic engagement. As an avid amateur cook, I've come to realize that the deepest bonds of community-building are forged over a home-cooked meal with friends and neighbors.
My involvement in local community-building has profoundly and positively shaped who I am as a neighbor, friend, and family member. I want to dedicate my time and efforts to empowering my neighbors to feel the sense of belonging and ownership that I've felt from connecting with those around me who continually strive to make our communities and city an even better place to live.
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INC/DU Law Students Highlighted!
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Sturm College of Law Students Play Key Role in Denver Summit FC Community Benefits Agreement
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Three University of Denver Sturm College of Law students provided crucial research and support for a highly sought-after $7 million Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) related to the new Denver Summit FC soccer stadium, ensuring the major development project addresses the needs of surrounding neighborhoods. This included achieving a precedent setting silver level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) commitment for the project. LEED is the world's most widely used green building rating system, and provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and sustainable building design and construction.
The students—Robert “Hobie” Malik, Natalie Afshar, and Mitchell Ukropina—were brought into the process in early August by Keith Meyer, president of Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC). Their involvement continued through the completion of the agreement, which was a key step to get city leaders’ support for the new stadium.
read more at DU Law News
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Regarding DOTI Changing “Finalized” Street Safety Plans Developed With Neighborhood Involvement
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At February's INC Delegates meeting, a motion was made to adopt the official position below, developed by INC’s Transportation Committee and referred to the Delegates by vote of INC’s Board.
This motion comes in response to a recent pattern of Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) changing supposedly finalized street safety plans, changing them significantly away from the consensus reached with neighborhoods during planning, and compromising safety without the same level of full and authentic engagement with the community.
Please see this approximately 12-minute recorded segment from our last meeting where the position was presented and Q&A was held, starting at 1h11m29s.
Consistent with our bylaws, INC leaves one month between presenting a motion at a meeting and the start of voting on a motion, so that Delegates have time to consult with their RNOs prior to voting. The online Delegate voting period will begin at our next INC Delegates meeting in March — look for an e-mail to delegates when that begins!
Here is the motion we will vote on next month, as presented at our February meeting:
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Motion for the INC Delegation approve the following position, creating and transmitting a letter based on this position to the Mayor, the Executive Director of DOTI, and City Council:
- INC reiterates our 50-year-plus commitment full, authentic and meaningful neighborhood involvement in topics that affect neighborhoods, and this includes the change of street design to protect lives and make our streets safer for everyone.
- INC reaffirms our commitment to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.
- INC is concerned with a pattern of late changes to street safety projects, long after public input has concluded and designs were supposedly finalized.
- INC calls on the Mayor and DOTI to:
- Rapidly implement street safety changes after community-involved designs are completed
- If post-engagement design changes become necessary:
- Apply a “no net loss of safety” standard, including completing and releasing a comparative “Level of Service of Safety” study, publicly disclosing and justifying post-engagement changes that affect safety; and,
- Providing neighborhoods a meaningful opportunity to review and compare original and revised designs before implementation, to ensure that safety is the top priority.
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WATCH:
February Community Connection
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Wrap Up!
INC's February Community Connection was held online and focused on diving into some of the exciting INC programing ahead, including a preview of key priorities and initiatives. You can watch the full meeting on YouTube.
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David Brooks and Frederick Riley explain why we need to reweave society
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We are thrilled that the Denver Civic COLab, a growing partnership between INC and the University of Denver, has been selected as one of 25 Community Host organizations for the 2026 Weaver Awards, a national initiative of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute.
The Weaver Awards are part of a constellation of activities designed to celebrate and support weavers—everyday neighbors who are building relationships, strengthening belonging, and weaving trust into the social fabric of their communities. Each month, we'll be rolling out a little bit more about weaving and the WEAVE Awards. Here's a short video about how Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute got started!
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Time to Renew Your RNO Membership with INC for 2026!
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It's time to start thinking about renewing your INC Membership for 2026! You may remember that INC switched to one renewal date for all members in 2025 ~ that renewal date is 4/1/2026. Being a member of INC ensures you're part of a vibrant community dedicated to enhancing and advocating for Denver's neighborhoods. Don't miss out on the exciting events, resources, and opportunities for collaboration in the year ahead—renew today using our brand new (& easier to use) online payment portal!
Please note that our online payment portal, GIVEBUTTER, offers this platform free of charge to nonprofits like INC. In return, they request a tip for this service. To avoid paying this tip, simply select the "other" option under the tip amount and enter 0 in the custom tip field. You also have the option to cover the small processing fee yourself or have INC cover it. Options to mail in checks are also still available.
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Zoom Registration links as well as Google, Outlook, and Yahoo Calendar links have now been added for meetings through May. Please add these dates and times to your personal calendars. All dates and times are tentative & subject to change.
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March
- Mar 3rd, INC Sustainability/ANCA Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom Registration
- Mar 12th, INC Transportation Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom Registration
- Mar 14th, INC Community Connection, 8:45 am - 11:00 am, Hybrid, Montclair Civic Building, 6820 E 12th Ave, Denver Zoom Registration, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar (.ics), Yahoo Calendar
April
- Apr 9th, INC Community Connection, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Zoom Registration, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar (.ics), Yahoo Calendar
- Apr 28th, INC ZAP Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom Registration, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar (.ics), Yahoo Calendar
May
- May 5th, INC Sustainability/ANCA Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom Registration, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar (.ics), Yahoo Calendar
- May 14th, INC Transportation Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom Registration, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar (.ics), Yahoo Calendar
- May 21st, Denver Community Film Fest, 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
June
- June , INC Community Connection, (TBD)
- June 23rd, INC ZAP Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
July
- July 7th, INC Sustainability/ANCA Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
- July 9th, INC Transportation Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
- July 11th, INC Community Connection, 8:45 am - 11:00 am, Hybrid
August
- Aug 25th, INC ZAP Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
September
- Sep 1st, INC Sustainability/ANCA Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
- Sep 10th, INC Transportation Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
- Sep 16-17th, INC Neighborhood Leadership Summit, (TBD)
October
- Oct 8th, INC Community Connection, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Zoom
- Oct 27th, INC ZAP Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
November
- Nov 3rd, INC Sustainability/ANCA Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
- Nov, INC Transportation Committee, (TBD)
- Nov 12th, INC Annual Neighborhood Awards, (TBD)
December
- Dec 1st, INC ZAP Committee, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Zoom
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Stay tuned for more updates in the weeks ahead!
Sincerely,
The INC Board of Directors
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INC has several committees that might interest you. Please use the buttons below to sign up for their email and announcements of their meetings
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About INC
Established in 1975, Denver INC (Inter Neighborhood Cooperation) is a voluntary, non-profit coalition of representatives from Denver’s registered neighborhood organizations (RNO's), city agencies and others that gather to promote responsible city change and growth for Denver. . We focus on citizen education/advocacy and fair-balance presentations on issues impacting Denver residents.
For many years, INC has increasingly become the vital voice of Denver's neighborhoods on municipal public policy. Through its committees, INC has developed the first comprehensive Citizens Education Academy, provided representatives to City task forces, furnished resources and tools to promote neighborhood organizational development and been involved in shaping recent marijuana initiatives and short term rental conditions.
Mailing: INC, PO Box 181012, Denver, CO 80218 Website: www.denverinc.org Email: communications@denverinc.
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