Walker Stapleton

Stapleton's family has been active in Colorado since the early 1900s.{{cite news|last1=Bartels|first1=Lynn|title=Stapleton! Everywhere you look|url= http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2011/04/25/stapleton-everywhere-you-look/28817/ |work=The Denver Post|access-date=1 August 2017|date=25 April 2011}}{{cite news|last1=Bunch|first1=Joey|title=Jeb Bush, Walker Stapleton benefit mutually from family ties in Colorado|url= http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2014/04/20/jeb-bush-walker-stapleton-benefit-mutually-family-ties-colorado/108372/ |access-date=1 August 2017|work=The Denver Post|date=20 April 2014}} Walker was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, attending the private Brunswick School.{{cite news |last1=Bianchi |first1=Chris |title=Walker Stapleton Is From a Loaded Connecticut Suburb — Just Like Me |url=http://www.westword.com/news/walker-stapleton-from-wealthy-connecticut-town-greenwich-10416849 |access-date=27 June 2018 |work=Westword |date=14 June 2018}}{{cite news |last1=The Sentinel |title=Walker Stapleton celebrates the fourth too early; and a school by any other name would be better |url=https://www.sentinelcolorado.com/elex-guide-2018/2018-governor/quidnunc-walker-stapleton-celebrates-fourth-early-school-name-better/ |access-date=27 June 2018 |work=Aurora Sentinel |date=14 December 2017}} He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, and holds a graduate degree in business economics from the London School of Economics and an MBA from Harvard Business School.{{cite news|author1=|title=EDITORIAL: Attack on Stapleton unfair|url=http://gazette.com/editorial-attack-on-stapleton-unfair/article/1552461|access-date=1 August 2017|work=The Gazette|date=24 May 2015|quote=He is a successful businessman with a Harvard MBA, a graduate degree from the London School of Economics and a proven record of good results.}}

Stapleton's mother, Dorothy Walker Stapleton, is a first cousin once removed of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, making him a second cousin of former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Florida governor Jeb Bush. He has maintained close ties to the Bush family and credits George H. W. Bush for inspiring him to enter politics.[https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/01/walker-stapleton-president-george-h-w-bush/ Walker Stapleton wishes his cousin George H.W. Bush “could live forever”] His father is diplomat Craig Roberts Stapleton.{{cite news|last1=Marcus|first1=Peter|title=Treasurer candidates divided on fund for retirement|url=https://durangoherald.com/articles/79649|access-date=1 August 2017|work=The Durango Herald|date=29 September 2014|quote=Stapleton’s family is also no stranger to numbers and public policy.}} His great-grandfather, Benjamin F. Stapleton, served as mayor of Denver from 1923 to 1931 and 1935 to 1947.

Stapleton began his private sector career in 1997 at Hambrecht & Quist as an investment banker.{{cite web|title=Walker R. Stapleton|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=22450764&privcapId=24841563|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=2 August 2017}} Two years later, he became Director of Business Development for Live365.{{cite web|title=Walker Stapleton State Treasurer, State Of Colorado|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/people/7271539-walker-roberts-stapleton|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=2 August 2017}} He subsequently was CEO and CFO of various private and publicly traded companies, until assuming office as Colorado Treasurer in 2011.{{cite news|author1=|title=Walker R. Stapleton: Colorado treasurer|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/colorado-election-news/ci_26657768/2013-election-walker-r-stapleton-republican-colorado-treasurer|access-date=2 August 2017|work=Daily Camera|date=10 October 2014}}

In early 2018, Stapleton, then running for governor of Colorado, was accused by fellow candidate Steve Barlock of paying off the History Colorado Center to remove mention of the family's ties with the white supremacy movement and the beginnings of the Ku Klux Klan in America from their exhibitions.{{Cite web|last=Schmidt|first=Madeleine|date=April 5, 2018|title=Stapleton Accused of Paying Off History Museum to Remove Family's KKK Past From Exhibit|url=https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2018/04/stapleton-kkk-past-paying-off-history-museum/8585/|access-date=December 3, 2018|website=Colorado Times Recorder}}{{cite news|last=Gonzales|first=Manny|date=November 23, 1999|title=Racist Group Dominated Politics in Early 1920s|work=Denver Rocky Mountain News|place=Denver, CO|url=http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1123mile.shtml|access-date=December 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608122916/http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1123mile.shtml|archive-date=June 8, 2009}}

Stapleton was a 2014 Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow.[https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/rodel-fellowships-public-leadership/aspen-institute-rodel-fellowship-class-2014/ Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship Class of 2014] In January 2022 Governor Jared Polis appointed Stapleton to the state's Economic Development Commission.{{Cite news|last=Clark|first=Kyle|date=January 5, 2022|title=Governor Polis appoints 2018 campaign rival to economic development post|work=9News|url=https://www.9news.com/amp/article/news/local/next/walker-stapleton-polis-colorado/73-3db6a5ed-0d24-4b4c-86fe-add19f9c6d89|access-date=January 5, 2022}}

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• [http://www.stapletonforcolorado.com/ Walker Stapleton's website]

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Category:1974 births

Category:21st-century Colorado politicians

Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics

Category:Bush family

Category:Colorado Republicans

Category:Harvard Business School alumni

Category:Living people

Category:People from Arapahoe County, Colorado

Category:State treasurers of Colorado

Category:Williams College alumni

Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States elections