The Honorable Elbra Wedgeworth

Hall Of Fame Inductee — 2008

Elbra Wedgeworth will forever be linked with the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC) that generated $266 million of economic impact and hundreds of millions of dollars in worldwide publicity. Wedgeworth provided the vision and leadership to bring the 2008 DNC to Denver. She served as the president/chair of the Board of the Host committee, which raised nearly $70 million and was responsible for overseeing every aspect of staging of what would become the largest event in the city’s history. Wedgeworth began her career with the City & County of Denver in 1989 and was elected to Denver City Council, District 8 in 1999, serving as a council representative on the Bureau’s Board of Directors. Recognizing the importance of tourism, she was a leader in the effort to secure more marketing dollars for the Bureau and in the campaigns to expand the Colorado Convention Center and build a headquarters hotel. She served as a member of the Denver Hotel Authority Board of Directors, which oversaw construction of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. In September 2008, she was elected chairperson of the Denver Union Station Authority Board of Directors.

Each Denver & Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame inductee reflects the profile of the inductee at the time of the induction.