The Committee for City and Airport Fairness (CCAF) was established nearly 20 years ago to advocate for equity, transparency, and fair access to public contracting opportunities within Denver’s airport and municipal systems. It is comprised of minority and women business owners, policy stakeholders, and engaged community members who are deeply invested in ensuring DEN’s leadership reflects the values and priorities of the diverse communities it serves.

CCAF

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Committee for City and Airport Fairness

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CCAF * Committee for City and Airport Fairness *

Meet Our Staff

Xóchitl Gaytán

Co-Executive Director

Xóchitl Gaytán is a proud DPS parent, DPS graduate, and community leader who has spent her life fighting for strong neighborhood public schools. A naturalized American citizen born in Mexico and raised in Denver, she experienced firsthand the challenges of being an undocumented, immigrant student in DPS. Those struggles of being an immigrant, multilingual learner shaped her into the empathetic, resilient leader she is today. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Metropolitan State University of Denver, with corporate experience in construction/facilities, finance, and is a 23-year veteran licensed real estate agent.

On the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, Xóchitl currently serves as the 1st Mexican-born President and continues to serve as a dedicated board member in her 2nd term. She is deeply committed to protecting public education, keeping resources in classrooms, and supporting teachers and staff so that every Denver student has the opportunity to thrive. Xóchitl believes that strong public schools are the cornerstone of vibrant communities.

Veronica Barela

Co-Executive Director

Veronica Barela, since 1978 served for 40 years as the President/CEO of NEWSED Community Development Corporation. NEWSED C.D.C. is a non-profit, community-based organization that provides a holistic approach to rebuilding the community and whose main focus was the revitalization of Denver’s near Westside community and its commercial strip Santa Fe Drive. Ms. Barela is recognized for her skills in community based economic development, community organizing, retail and housing development, events, arts and culture and civil rights work.

Ms. Barela has a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Colorado at Denver. In 1983, she graduated from the National Internship in Community Economic Development through the Development Training Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1985, she completed the Denver Community Leadership Development Program and Colorado Outward Bound School. Mayor Wellington Webb declared June 26, 1992, Veronica Barela Day because of her long-time civil rights, economic development, and community organizing work for the City of Denver. Ms. Barela has served on many boards, commissions and committees and she has received numerous awards.

Veronica Barela was raised in the North Lincoln Projects in the West Side has dedicated her life to developing the economic growth of the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood and it’s commercial corridor Santa Fe Drive, she also started the nationally known Santa Fe Art’s District. After graduating from Metropolitan State University in 1977 she returned to her neighborhood and began working for the Justice Information Center. In 1978 she became the Director of NEWSED C.D.C. which was an economic development initiative of the West Side Action Center.

Ms. Barela is the First Colorado Latina to lead a Community Development Corporation (C.D.C.) in Colorado, she is the first Latina to sit on the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) Board of Directors and she is the Founder of Denver’s Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Veronica was President of Hispanic of Colorado, Co-Chair of The People of Color Coalition, Co-Chair of the Colorado Latino Forum and current Chair of The Committee for City & Airport Fairness.

Ms. Barela is married to Thatcher Barela and has two daughters Anna Abeyta and Andrea Barela. Her sons-in-law are Paul Abeyta and Jason Torrez and her four grandsons are Christian and Brandon Abeyta and Israel and Noah Martinez.