The National Civic League announced this week that former Denver Councilman and former state Sen. Doug Linkhart would be the organization’s next president.

The nonprofit organization promotes civic engagement and community-based planning and decision-making.

“Doug Linkhart has exceptional qualifications for the job,” said David Sander, chairman of the National Civic League Board of Directors. “His experience as a neighborhood leader, nonprofit director, elected official and public manager gives him an unusually broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing America’s communities.”

Linkhart was most recently a member of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s cabinet, serving as director of Denver’s Department of Environmental Health. When he was an at-large member on city council, he was steered the creation of the Crime Prevention Control Commission and an Economic Prosperity Plan for the city. He was also president of the Colorado Municipal League.

Linkhart, a Democrat, served one term as a state representative and two terms as a state senator.

Linkhart was founder and executive director of the Neighborhood Resource Center of Colorado, a nonprofit organization that strengthened neighborhoods through block organizing and community policing.

Caldwell promoted at Colorado Department of Human Services

Former Denver Post journalist Alicia Caldwell has been named deputy executive director of legislative affairs and communications at the Colorado Department of Human Services, the department announced this week. She has been serving as the department’s director of communications and starts the new job next week.

In the position, Caldwell will be responsible for working on relationships with legislators while building communication strategies for the department. She’ll report directly to the department’s executive director, Reggie Bicha.

“Alicia has quickly proven to be a dynamic force since joining the department,” Bicha said. “Her leadership skills, knowledge base, and ability to build relationships make her uniquely qualified for this important position. She will no doubt identify opportunities and foster connections that will continue to allow us to better serve Coloradans requiring our services.”

Caldwell worked as a reporter at the Post before joining the editorial board in 2006. She spent 16 years covering courts, cops and politics at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida.

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