We will be honoring Antonette DeLauro Smith with the Vern Bickel Award.

Antonette is a proud westerner and a fiery American patriot. With decades of experience in state and federal government, Fortune 500 companies, and many campaigns and public policy initiatives, she has built her career helping organizations maximize their success by building winning strategies and executing with precision.

Antonette is the executive director of the Colorado OutReach Exchange, a community engagement and leadership development program for the Colorado National Guard. She was honored to serve as Deputy State Director for Americans for Prosperity-Colorado and before that as director of marketing for the Centennial Institute, the public policy think tank at Colorado Christian University.

A Colorado native, Antonette is a trusted advisor for her expertise in media, marketing, and public affairs through her consulting firm, Silverado Strategies.  She started her career in DC working with U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong (R-CO). She returned to Colorado to serve as Director of Public Affairs for Colorado State Parks then moved to the corporate world, serving in executive roles in Fortune 500 companies First Data, Western Union and CH2M HILL.

Antonette is a graduate of Leadership Denver and the Leadership Program of the Rockies, a Fellow with the Club for Growth, and a member of AEI Leadership Network. She has served on several key nonprofit boards including Cancer League of Colorado, Hospice of Saint John, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Friends of Colorado State Parks. She earned her BA in political science from The Colorado College, and an MBA from the University of Denver – Daniels College of Business.