Pueblo native and Denver-based attorney Richard Gonzales has been hired as the new in-house general counsel for Colorado Mountain College.
“We are pleased to offer this position to such an extraordinary, well-qualified candidate and Coloradoan,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College. “Not only was Richard Gonzales the first university counsel at the University of Denver, his depth and breadth of experience in nonprofit, general business, real estate finance, litigation and contract law will serve the college well. In addition, throughout his distinguished career he has also been a stellar community leader and role model.”
“My career passion is to work for the public interest,” said Gonzales, “and by joining Colorado Mountain College I will be able to do exactly that on a full-time basis. Over the years, my private legal practice and volunteer work have evolved so that I have been working almost exclusively for clients that serve the public. I am excited about working for CMC because in-house higher education positions are some of the best legal jobs in the profession and because I believe that Colorado Mountain College is a model for higher education in the future.”
Gonzales holds a law degree from Stanford Law School, as well as a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is currently the Denver representative of the national law firm Reno & Cavanaugh, and has previously been a partner at GCR, a partner at Lindquist & Vennum, general counsel for the Stapleton Development Corporation, university counsel for the University of Denver and a partner at Sherman & Howard.
Gonzales is currently the president of the Mi Casa Resource Center Board of Directors, and also serves on the board of directors of Rocky Mountain Public Broadcast System. Among his many other community service roles have been mayoral appointments to St. Anthony’s Central Hospital Community Advisory Task Force, the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District Board of Directors and the Lowry Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors.
Gonzales is expected to start his new position at Colorado Mountain College by early November.