|
Kenneth A. Barela, 43, is a native of Colorado. Mr. Barela was born and raised in Fountain, Colorado to Almonzor and Elma Barela. Ken was the third of five sons. Upon graduating from Fountain-Ft.Carson High School in 1981 Ken studied music at Colorado State University and the University of Southern Colorado. In 2000 Mr. Barela earned his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver.
In 1986 Mr. Barela joined the U.S Army where he earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant (Infantry). Lieutenant Barela remained in the U.S. Army Reserves for nine (9) years. As a reservist he participated on two counter drug missions and in 1991 was activated in support of Desert Storm.
While serving as a reserve officer he began his civilian career in the mental health field as a case manager with Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center in Pueblo, Colorado. Ken eventually became the Vice-President of Planning and Operations for Pikes Peak Mental Health Center Systems, Inc., a Colorado Springs, Colorado based multi-million dollar, 500-person organization.
In 2000 Ken was appointed as the Executive Director of Aspen Diversified Industries (ADI) and Senior Vice-President of the Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ADI is an entrepreneurial, non-profit corporation dedicated to assisting people who are disabled or disadvantaged by creating work opportunities for them to achieve their highest potential.
Over the past thirteen (13) years Mr. Barela has been very active in local politics. In 1993 he was elected as a School Board Member for the Fountain-Ft. Carson School District. He was also appointed to the El Paso County Housing Authority Commission in 1995.
Ken was elected as the Mayor of Fountain, Colorado, a city of 20,000 citizens, in 1997. Mayor Barela was been re-elected four times over a period of eight (8) years. In 2002 and 2006 Mr. Barela was selected as the Democratic nominee for State Representative (District 19). A highlight of his political career was when the City of Fountain was selected as the community that best reflects the demographic profile of the United States by the New York Times Magazine in 2000, and when the City of Fountain was selected as one of ten All-America Cities in 2002 by the National Civic League. His greatest honor was being selected in 2005 as the community leader of the year for the Pikes Peak region by the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee.
Ken is most proud of his lovely wife Debbie and their four (4) children. Ken’s children are Ashlee, age 20, Mel, age 19, Matthew, age 7, and Emilee, age 4.
Read more about Kenneth
Committee to Elect Ken Barela
PO Box 60126
Colorado Springs, CO 80960-0126
Phone: 719-632-1165
|
