13 Facts About Josh Penry

Josh Penry was born on February 1,1976 and is the former minority leader of the Colorado Senate.

Josh Penry was identified by several newspapers as a "rising star" in Colorado politics during the 2000s.

Josh Penry was born in Colorado and a long-time resident of Western Colorado.

Josh Penry graduated from Grand Junction High School and Mesa State College, where he quarterbacked the Mesa State Mavericks football team and served as student body President.

In 1998, Josh Penry was named the National Scholar Athlete of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and the Burger King Corporation, an award given to Peyton Manning the previous year.

Josh Penry moved to Washington, DC to work for Congressman Scott McInnis.

Josh Penry was appointed staff director of the House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, where he played a lead role in negotiation the Healthy Forests Restoration Act with the White House and Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Josh Penry's bill, signed into law in June 2005, created roundtables for each river basin to assess and address regional water needs.

In 2008, Josh Penry was part of a bi-partisan effort involving Gov.

Josh Penry sponsored legislation to strengthen Colorado's education standards to better equip students to compete in a highly competitive global economic environment, and he initiated and negotiated a bi-partisan bill to invest growing federal mineral lease revenues into Colorado's colleges and universities.

Josh Penry was a principal supporter of 2008's Amendment 52, which would have directed mineral severance tax revenue away from water conservation projects to road building, but which failed at the polls.

Josh Penry is married to Kristin Strohm, a principal at the Starboard Group, a political firm in Colorado.

Josh Penry is the father of four children: Chase, Emme, Sophie, and Caroline.