About
Paul
Paul Rosenthal has lived in Denver for 25 years. He has been a special education, Economics, Civics, Colorado History, and U.S. History teacher at a youth correctional facility for young men for the past 10 years. He was recently awarded “Teacher of the Year” by Junior Achievement for his work engaging his students in his Economics course and leading them to 5th and 7th place in the Stock Market Challenge, where they competed against 40 teams.
He served in the Colorado House of Representatives for six years, where he passed legislation to require the governor to make climate change a priority. He also championed and pioneered bills to support transit and transportation, ban “gay conversion therapy”, reduce use of plastic bags, reform the criminal justice system, and adopt the National Popular Vote. Rosenthal sponsored tributes and breakfasts in honor of Daddy Bruce Randolph and Corky Gonzales, had forums for legislators to meet with refugees and immigrants, and recognized dozens of diverse students for their success. He was the chair of the LGBTQ Caucus and founder of the Aerospace Caucus in the legislature. His district included southeast Denver and parts of Arapahoe County.
For the past 15 years, Rosenthal has been an appointee by former Mayor Hickenlooper and now current Mayor Michael Hancock to the Denver Community Corrections Board, and he served as Vice Chair. The board decides which offenders from prison may re-enter the community through Denver’s half-way houses. Rosenthal envisioned and successfully led the effort to name the new Denver courthouse after his hero, former Denver Juvenile Court Judge Ben Barr Lindsey. As legislative director for the Pendulum Foundation, he built coalitions to pass fair juvenile justice legislation.
Rosenthal was elected as a delegate to Democratic National Conventions in 2000 and 2004, and was elected Secretary of the Denver Democratic Party and President of Colorado Stonewall LGBTQ Democrats. Rosenthal helped found the University Hills Neighborhood Association. For five years he served on the Jewish Community Relations Council of JewishColorado.
Rosenthal earned his Master’s of International Management from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business and has lived and traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has worked for various businesses and law firms as well. Paul has attended Aish Denver synagogue in Greenwood Village for about 23 years. In his free time, Paul enjoys cooking exotic foods for friends, hiking, seeing films, and a good glass of wine.
