Celebrating Kate Barton: 12 Years of Leadership, Legacy, and City-Building

The Downtown Denver Partnership announces the departure of Kate Barton, Chief of External Affairs & Managing Director, who has served the organization and downtown for 12 years. Kate's tenure has spanned some of the most complex and consequential chapters in Downtown Denver's recent history, and her impact is woven into the fabric of our urban core.

Over the course of her career at the Partnership, Kate led and shaped initiatives that have left a lasting mark on the city. She played a pivotal role in the growth of Colorado Startup Week, was key in bringing the Commons on Champa to life as a place to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the heart of the city, and was a driving force behind the organization's 2016 Security Action Plan. She also guided the Partnership through its COVID-19 response and was instrumental in a major organizational restructure that positioned the Partnership for long-term impact.

Kate's fingerprints are equally visible across Downtown Denver's physical transformation. She served as a key leader in the 16th Street Mall revitalization project and subsequent reopening and has championed banner policy initiatives that elevated both the organization's advocacy and downtown's identity as a place to live, work and invest.

"Kate has been a steady hand and trusted leader during some of the most defining moments in our organization's history," said Kourtny Garrett, President & CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. "Her political acumen, her deep respect for the partnerships that make city-building possible, and her unwavering commitment to doing what is right — not what is easy — have made an immeasurable impact. On behalf of the entire Downtown Denver Partnership team, I am profoundly grateful for her leadership and the incredible legacy she leaves behind. Downtown Denver is better because of her."

“Serving the Downtown Denver Partnership for more than a decade has been one of the great honors of my career. I am deeply proud of the work we have accomplished to strengthen downtown’s economic vitality and guide our city through pivotal moments of transformation. The momentum underway today is real and lasting, and I have every confidence in the strength of the organization and leadership advancing this work. I am profoundly grateful for the team, board, members, and partners who show up every day and make Downtown Denver worth fighting for.”

During her time at the Partnership, Kate was a gubernatorial appointee of Auraria Campus Board and served as Board Chair (2025) and chaired the committee for the Auraria Campus Framework Plan (2023). Kate also lends her leadership to the broader Denver community through her board service with Girls, Inc. and Judi’s House and JAG Institute. A nod to her impact on the Denver business community, Kate was named to the Denver Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” class of 2020.

Beyond her initiatives and accomplishments, Kate has been a builder of teams, of trust, and of the relationships that make meaningful citybuilding work possible. Her counsel and mentorship have shaped colleagues and partners alike, and her presence will be felt long after her departure.

On behalf of all of us at the Downtown Denver Partnership, we wish Kate all the best in her next chapter as Chief of Staff at Continuum Partners, and we thank her deeply for more than a decade of dedication to Downtown Denver and the people and communities that call it home.