New EDC CEO welcomed home

8/26/2008 - Brighton, Colorado

Raymond Gonzales, the new president and CEO of the Brighton Economic Development Corp., was formally introduced Monday to members of the EDC by City Manager John Bramble during a reception at United Power. Gonzales and his wife, Lisandra – both Brighton High School graduates – were welcomed home. “I have worked in many communities. Some are growing, some are not,” he said. Those that are growing, he said, all share characteristics of innovation and collaboration that
eliminate boundaries and they work for “smart, fierce growth.” “Brighton is on the brink of becoming one of the state’s prime
communities,” Gonzales told the audience that included city councilors, city department heads and local business people.
The former South Elementary School student recalled hanging out at the Senior Center with his grandmother. He recalled a community with fewer opportunities. “As I grew up, there wasn’t much to do” in town he said. Taking in a movie required a trip to Northglenn or Westminster. Shopping for clothes also meant a trip out of town. After graduation, he and classmates
felt the need to leave town for opportunities, he said. Many of his peers have not returned. “Why did I come back?” As their
children grew older, he said, he and his wife decided they wanted their children to have “the quality of life that can only be found in a town like Brighton. We have come home for good,” he said. The meeting also served as the EDC Summer Update and Bramble shared some highlights of progress at Prairie Center. A mid-October opening is expected for the Michaels arts and crafts store. J.C.Penney will open in March or April. And Buffalo Wild Wings will open in the first quarter of 2009.

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