Kelly Flenniken Will Lead Colorado Forum in November
The leadership change at the 80-member organization marks a transition after a 37-year tenure.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in People
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Kelly Flenniken is set to assume the presidency of the Colorado Forum on Nov. 2, 2026. She succeeds longtime president Gail Klapper, who led the organization for 37 years.
Why it matters
The change in leadership signals a new era for an organization that relies on 100% consensus among its 80 members to take formal policy positions. This transition follows a national search that evaluated more than 70 applicants for the role.
The Colorado Forum maintains a strict cap of 80 members and requires 100% consensus for all official organizational positions. Kelly Flenniken, 47, was selected from a field of over 70 applicants to succeed the 83-year-old outgoing president.
The players
Kelly Flenniken
The incoming president of the Colorado Forum who previously served as the head of Colorado Counties Inc.
Gail Klapper
The departing president of the Colorado Forum who has led the organization since 1989.
The Colorado Forum
A policy-focused organization capped at 80 members that requires unanimous consensus for its stances.
The details
The Colorado Forum operates as a consensus-driven entity, necessitating unanimous agreement among its members to advance initiatives. Flenniken will transition from her current role leading Colorado Counties Inc. to oversee the organization's collaborative policy efforts. The incoming president will manage an institution founded by Herrick Roth that focuses on state-level legislative and economic issues.
Timeline
June 2026: A national search for the new president commenced.
Nov. 2, 2026: Kelly Flenniken assumes her duties as president.
End of 2026: Gail Klapper concludes her transition assistance period.
Market Landscape
This leadership transition follows a decade of evolving state-level policy coordination that accelerated following the 2015 formation of Building a Better Colorado. The move marks a change for an institution that has maintained a consistent governance model since the late 1980s.
Operators tracking state policy should monitor how the new presidency affects the Colorado Forum’s ability to reach the 100% member consensus required for official positions. The transition period concludes at the end of 2026, marking the point when the new leadership structure will be fully established.
The takeaway
The move from a 37-year presidential tenure to new leadership emphasizes the importance of governance stability in consensus-based organizations. Business leaders should monitor the Colorado Forum’s policy positioning in 2027 to assess how the new administration influences the group's legislative priorities.
What happens next
Kelly Flenniken will officially assume her presidential duties on Nov. 2, 2026, while Gail Klapper will finish her transition assistance through the end of 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about organizational leadership and executive transitions in the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Colorado Sun.
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