Glenn Vaad

Infobox State Representative
name=Glenn Vaad


state_house=Colorado
state=Colorado
district=48th
term_start=January 10, 2007
preceded=Dale Hall
succeeded=
date of birth=
place of birth=
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Mollie
profession=transportation engineer
religion=Christian
party=Republican|

Glenn Vaad (born c. 1941) is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Vaad represents House District 48, which encompasses western Greeley and southwestern Weld County, Colorado.cite web |url=http://comaps.org/district48h.html |title=State House District 48 |accessdate=2007-12-08 |format=html |work=COMaps ]

Early career

Vaad earned a bachelor's degree in industrial construction management from Colorado State University.cite news |author=Staff Report |title=Glenn Vaad-Republican |url=http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:lf92pv9h4iAJ:www.reporterherald.com/election/candidate.asp%3FcandidateID%3D15+%22glenn+vaad%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us&client=firefox-a
work=Loveland Reporter-Herald |date=2006 |accessdate=2007-12-18 ] He spent most of his professional career within the Colorado Department of Transportation in many roles, including highway engineer, a management consultant, auditor, and legislative liaison. During his time at CDOT, Vaad spent 10 years working on the extension of Interstate 70 near Vail, Colorado. He retired in 1998,cite news |first=Lynn |last=Bartels |title=Citizen Legislator, February 7 |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/07/citizen-legislator-february-7/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=7 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-14 ] after 31 years with the department. He also served as Secretary of the Colorado Transportation Commission.cite web |url=http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=68029 |title=Representative Vaad |accessdate=2007-12-18 |format=html |work=Project Vote Smart]

A volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician, Vaad has been elected to the Mead, Colorado Board of Trustees, the of Saint Vrain Valley School District Board of Education, (where he served for nine years, including a stint as board chair.), the Weld County Board of Commissioners, and served on the Weld County Planning Commission, the Mead Sanitation Board, the State Child Welfare Allocation Committee, and was a charter member of the Skyline High School Education Foundation.

On the Weld County Commission, Vaad represented District 2, which covered the rapidly-growing southwestern portion of the county, including the communities of Dacono, Frederick, Firestone and Mead. First elected in 1998,cite news |first=Jesse |last=Fanciulli |title=Commissioner Vaad to run again |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20020110/NEWS/101100018
work=Greeley Tribune |date=10 January 2002 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] Vaad, who rose to chair the board of commissioners, faced no opposition in his 2002 run for re-election.cite news |first=Jesse |last=Fanciulli |title=Vaad unopposed |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20021018/NEWS/110180037
work=Greeley Tribune |date=18 October 2002 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] As a Weld County Commissioner, Vaad was noted for pressing for a regional airport in rapidly-growing northern Colorado,cite news |first=Julie |last=Piotraschke |title=Airport near Ault? |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050906/NEWS/109060066
work=Greeley Tribune |date=6 September 2005 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] and for a northern Colorado regional council of governments.cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Waddingham |title=ARegional council may come to Front Range |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050328/NEWS/103280071
work=Greeley Tribune |date=28 March 2005 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] Vaad also served on the North Front Range Transportation and Air Quality Planning Council, a regional group that proposed a Northern Colorado regional transportation authority,cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Waddingham |title=Big changes in transportation may be coming |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20060115/BUSINESS/101150046
work=Greeley Tribune |date=15 January 2006 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] cite news |first=Jesse |last=Fanciulli |title=Group pushes transportation taxing district |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20010710/NEWS/107100005
work=Greeley Tribune |date=10 July 2001 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] another of his regional priorities. Vaad also pushed, unsuccessfully, for the creation of a business incubator in Weld County.cite news |first=Erin |last=Hottenstein |title=Greeley incubator study says 'go slow' |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-colorado/1129729-1.html
work=Northern Colorado Business Report |date=13 July 2001 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ]

Vaad is married and has lived in Mead for three decades; he and his wife, Mollie, have two children, Joel and Nicole, and three grandchildren.cite web |url=http://www.coloradohousegop.com/?q=node/18 |title=Rep. Glenn Vaad, HD-48 |accessdate=2007-12-18 |format=html |work=Colorado House Republicans ] He has been an elder at LifeBridge Christian Church near Longmont, Colorado.cite news |first=Annie P. |last=Huntley |title=Weld County, Colo., Officials Approve Plans for Megachurch. |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8902591_ITM
work=Greeley Tribune |date=9 July 2003 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ]

Legislative career

2006 election

In June 2005, Vaad, term-limited as a county commissioner, announced his intention to run for House District 48, a seat being vacated by term-limited Rep. Dale Hall, who ran for the state senate.cite news |first=Doyle |last=Murphy |title=County commissioner Vaad seeks House seat held by Hall |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050720/NEWS/107200070
work=Greeley Tribune |date=20 July 2005 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] Vaad faced Democrat Michael Dugan in the 2006 race to in a race where regional growth and transportation funding were key issues.cite news |first=Joanna |last=Larez |title=Growth, transportation, immigration highlight District 48 race |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20061011/NEWS/110110139
work=Greeley Tribune |date=October 11, 2006 |accessdate=2007-12-18 ] Vaad won the November 2006 general election with about 58 percent of the vote.cite news |first=Joanna |last=Larez |title=Vaad takes 48th Congressional District |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20061108/NEWS/111080136
work=Greeley Tribune |date=8 November 2006 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ]

2007 legislative session

Infobox Colorado Legislation
Title=Rep.
Name=Vaad
Year=2007
Bill Number 1=HB07-1063
Bill Number 2=HB07-1187
Bill Link 1=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/00241A75ECADABBB87257251007C7A61?Open&file=1063_enr.pdf
Bill Link 2=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/D6731377B4C8DE43872572610063EE05?Open&file=1187_enr.pdf
Bill Status 1=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 2=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Title 1=Concerning disclosure of information collected pursuant to the uninsured motorist identification database program.
Bill Title 2=Concerning the publication of information on the salaries of county employees by the board of county commissioners.

After his election, Vaad named transportation, public safety, and economic security his top legislative goals.cite news |first=Glenn |last=Vaad |title=Focusing on effectiveness will help bridge partisan gap |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20061207/READERS/112070082
work=Greeley Tribune |date=7 December 2006 |accessdate=2007-12-18 ] Because of his experience with transportation issues, Vaad was named the ranking Republican member of the House Transportation Committee and co-chair of the General Assembly's Transportation Caucus in his first term.cite news |first=Glenn |last=Vaad |title=More tools for Colorado's transportation tool chest |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070214/READERS/102140093
work=Greeley Tribune |date=14 February 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-18 ] Vaad also sat on the House Appropriations Committee.cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/directory.nsf/HouCommWp?OpenView |title=House Committees of Reference |accessdate=2007-12-11 |format=html |work=Colorado General Assembly] Vaad sponsored only two bills during the 2007 session, both of them concerning disclosure of confidential information (insurance records and employee salaries) by government entities.cite news |title=Vaad Has a Two-Bill Day |url=http://widestreets.net/2007/03/
work=Wide Streets Network |date=26 March 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ]

During the session, Vaad crossed party lines to support a controversial tax freeze proposed by Democrats to expand education funding.cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Boyle |title=2007 Legislature: Bipartisan and green |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070513/NEWS/105120143
work=Greeley Tribune |date=13 May 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ]

Following the 2007 session, Vaad was appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter to a 30-member committee studying transportation funding options,cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Boyle |title=Lawmakers still plan on working after session wraps up |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070513/NEWS/105120146
work=Greeley Tribune |date=13 May 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] cite news |first=Lynn |last=Bartels |title=Gov. Ritter completes 30-member panel on transportation; summit April 5 |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/mar/27/gov-ritter-completes-30-member-panel-on-summit-5/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=27 March 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] the Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Finance and Implementation. and also served on the interim Transportation Legislation Review Committee.cite web |url=http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/2007/comsched/07TLRCSched.htm |title=Transportation Legislation Review Committee 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-27 |work=Colorado Legislative Council ]

2008 legislative session

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Vaad sits on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Transportation and Energy Committee.cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/directory.nsf/HouCommWp?OpenView |title=House Committees of Reference |accessdate=2008-01-19 |format=html |work=Colorado General Assembly]

In the 2008 legislative session, Vaad plans, as part of a package of transportation legislation proposed by Republicans, to introduce a bill to turn over responsibility for state highways within city limits to each municipality,cite news |first=Steven |last=Paulson |title=GOP wants cities to take over highway repairs |url=http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7442463
work=Denver Post |date=12 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] and to give cities a greater share of state transportation funds.cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Brown |title=Cities may get highway duties |url=http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7446460
work=Denver Post |date=13 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] cite news |first=April P. |last=Washington |title=Highway upkeep a hot potato |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/nov/13/highway-upkeep-a-hot-potato/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=13 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] The bill died in committee, as did legislation to allow citizens to form a regional transportation authority by petition.cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Boyle |title=Inside Politics: Going Nowhere Fast |url=http://www.fortcollinsnow.com/article/20080215/GUEST/37763182
work=Fort Colins Now |date=15 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-23 ] Vaad plans on continuing to advance his transportation agenda within the Transportation Legislation Review Committee, which meets between legislative sessions.cite news |first=Kacia |last=Munshaw |title=Transportation bill postponed |url=http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6993
work=Longmont Times-Call |date=5 March 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-06 ] In particular, he plans on reintroducing a version of his transportation funding bill in the 2009 session.cite news |first=Glenn |last=Vaad |title=A reflection on the legislative session |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080518/READERS/905420005/-1/TRIBEDIT |work=Greeley Tribune |date=18 May 2008 |accessdate=2008-06-13 ]

Vaad also sponsored bills, signed into law, required that old license plates be destroyed to prevent fake plate from being installed on vehicles,cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Boyle |title=Bills Becoming Laws
url=http://www.fortcollinsnow.com/article/20080411/NEWS/587659261/0/FRONTPAGE |work=Fort Collins Now |date=11 April 2008 |accessdate=2008-04-12 ] and to specify the location of registration stickers on license plates.cite news |first=John |last=Fryar |title=From sports ticket sales to solar energy, 170 bills were locally generated proposals |url=http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=8570 |work=Longmont Times-Call |date=10 May 2007 |accessdate=2008-05-11 ] Another bill to be introduced by Vaad would prohibit money from Colorado's College Opportunity Fund for being used for remedial university coursework.cite news |first=Chris |last=Casey |title=Higher education remains statehouse puzzle |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080106/NEWS/355655229
work=Greeley Tribune |date=6 January 2008 |accessdate=2008-01-20 ]

2008 election

Vaad announced his intention to run for a second term in January 2008cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=Vaad to seek re-election |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080110/NEWS/381731943
work=Greeley Tribune |date=10 January 2008 |accessdate=2008-01-20 ] and was nominated by acclamation at the Republican assembly in February,cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=Weld Republicans choose candidates, will hold primaries for two commissioner seats |url=http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080226/NEWS/227468443
work=Greeley Tribune |date=26 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-09 ] although he faced a primary election challenge from Mark Charles Yingling,cite news |first=John |last=Fryar |title=Area DA candidates without major-party foes |url=http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=9318 |work=Longmont Times-Call |date=12 June 2008 |accessdate=2008-06-14 ] who petitioned onto the primary ballot.cite news |first=Christopher |last=Ortiz |title=Vaad wins District 48 primary |url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080813/NEWS/71918122/1001&parentprofile=-1 |work=Greeley Tribune |date=13 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-13 ]

Yingling ran a campaign positioning himself as more conservative than Vaad on issues including abortion, immigration, and taxes;cite news |first=Andrew |last=Villegas |title=Vaad looks to dispel rumors ahead of primary election |url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080802/NEWS/181807254/1001/rss |work=Greeley Tribune |date=2 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] cite news |first=John |last=Fryar |title=Southwest Weld Republicans to pick House 48 candidate |url=http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=10326 |work=Longmont Times Call |date=3 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] cite news |author=Staff reports |title=Elections 2008: A look at other House races |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/08/seven-house-races-to-be-decided-in-the-primary/ |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=8 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-10 ] Vaad, however, accused Yingling's campaign of distorting his legislative record.cite news |first=Glenn |last=Vaad |title=In their words: Glenn Vaad |url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080808/READERS/205723322/1025/NEWS&parentprofile=-1 |work=Greeley Tribune |date=8 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-10 ] Yingling's campaign against Vaad also drew support from groups opposing gun control and illegal immigration.cite news |first=Ed |last=Sealover |title=Sitting state lawmakers won't return to Statehouse |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/13/sitting-state-lawmakers-wont-return-to/ |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=13 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-13 ]

Vaad narrowly won the Republican primary, prevailing with 53 percent of the vote, less than 500 votes more than Yingling—an unexpectedly strong result for a challenger who entered the contest relatively late and who did not even set up a web site. Vaad will face Democrat Bill Williams in November's general election.cite news |first=John |last=Fryar |title=Vaad survives GOP challenge |url=http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=10562 |work=Longmont Times-Call |date=12 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-13 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/house/members/hou48.htm Colorado General Assembly profile]