Bob Hagedorn
Encyclopedia
Bob Hagedorn
is a Colorado
legislator. A journalist by training, Hagedorn was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992. After serving eight years in the state house, Hagedorn was elected to the Colorado Senate in 2000 and again in 2004, representing Senate District 29, which includes central Aurora, Colorado
.
into a military family, Hagedorn's family settled in Aurora, Colorado
in 1965 and he attended local schools, graduating from Aurora Central High School in 1970. He earned a bachelor's degree
in journalism
from the University of Colorado at Boulder
in 1974, and then a master's degree
in urban affairs from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1979.
Hagedorn has worked as a political science instructor at Metropolitan State College of Denver
, and served on its faculty from 1990 to 2004. He has also worked in the fields of marketing
and public relations
, as well as journalism, working as the editor of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood News. From 1998 to 2004, Hagedorn sat on the Board of Directors of Arapahoe House, a non-profit provider of drug and alcohol treatment services.
and time in rehab
following his mother's cancer diagnosis. During his time in the state house, Hagedorn worked on issues including patient protection legislation, and prevention
strategies in the criminal justice system, and was named by the Democratic Leadership Council
as one of "100 to Watch" among young Democratic officeholders. Term-limited, Hagedorn went on to serve in the Colorado State Senate, elected in 2000 and 2004 to represent the solidly Democratic district. Hagedorn emphasized health care issues in particular during his Senate tenure and his 2004 re-election campaign.
In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Hagedorn served as chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee In past Senate sessions, Hagedorn has served on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. During the 2007 session, Hagedorn successfully sponsored legislation to establish a state prescription drug
discount program—the first bill signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter
-- and to declare John Denver
's "Rocky Mountain High
" the second official state song.
Hagedorn has been named "Legislator of the Year" by a wide range of groups, including the American Cancer Society
in 2000, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry awarded him in 1995 and 1999 and the Colorado Association of Public Employees in 2004.
is a Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
legislator. A journalist by training, Hagedorn was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992. After serving eight years in the state house, Hagedorn was elected to the Colorado Senate in 2000 and again in 2004, representing Senate District 29, which includes central Aurora, Colorado
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
.
Early career
Born in Elizabeth City, North CarolinaElizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
into a military family, Hagedorn's family settled in Aurora, Colorado
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
in 1965 and he attended local schools, graduating from Aurora Central High School in 1970. He earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1974, and then a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in urban affairs from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1979.
Hagedorn has worked as a political science instructor at Metropolitan State College of Denver
Metropolitan State College of Denver
The Metropolitan State College of Denver is a four-year college and now offers certain Graduate programs located in Denver, Colorado, United States. As of 2009, Metro State had the second-largest enrollment of undergraduates of any college in Colorado...
, and served on its faculty from 1990 to 2004. He has also worked in the fields of marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, as well as journalism, working as the editor of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood News. From 1998 to 2004, Hagedorn sat on the Board of Directors of Arapahoe House, a non-profit provider of drug and alcohol treatment services.
Legislative career
Hagedorn was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1992 and re-elected three times, including a 1996 re-election after struggling with binge drinkingBinge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
and time in rehab
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
following his mother's cancer diagnosis. During his time in the state house, Hagedorn worked on issues including patient protection legislation, and prevention
Crime prevention
Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce victimization and to deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice.-Studies:...
strategies in the criminal justice system, and was named by the Democratic Leadership Council
Democratic Leadership Council
The Democratic Leadership Council was a non-profit 501 corporation that, upon its formation, argued the United States Democratic Party should shift away from the leftward turn it took in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
as one of "100 to Watch" among young Democratic officeholders. Term-limited, Hagedorn went on to serve in the Colorado State Senate, elected in 2000 and 2004 to represent the solidly Democratic district. Hagedorn emphasized health care issues in particular during his Senate tenure and his 2004 re-election campaign.
In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Hagedorn served as chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee In past Senate sessions, Hagedorn has served on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. During the 2007 session, Hagedorn successfully sponsored legislation to establish a state prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
discount program—the first bill signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter
Bill Ritter (politician)
August William "Bill" Ritter is an American politician of the Democratic Party, and was the 41st Governor of the state of Colorado, from 2007 to 2011. Before his election in 2006, he served as the district attorney for Denver...
-- and to declare John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
's "Rocky Mountain High
Rocky Mountain High
"Rocky Mountain High" is a folk-rock song written by John Denver and Mike Taylor about Colorado, and is one of the two official state songs of Colorado. Recorded by Denver, it went to number nine on the US Hot 100 in 1973...
" the second official state song.
Hagedorn has been named "Legislator of the Year" by a wide range of groups, including the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
in 2000, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry awarded him in 1995 and 1999 and the Colorado Association of Public Employees in 2004.
External links
- Legislative web page
- 2004 campaign website (Internet Archive)