Biography
Chris Nevitt was born into an American Foreign Service family and spent his childhood traveling the world. Born in Ubonrajathani, Thailand, Chris also spent time growing up in Bangkok, Thailand; Lagos, Nigeria; Canberra, Australia; and that most exotic of locales, Fairfax County, Virginia. Of Quaker heritage, Chris earned his undergraduate degree at Haverford College, a Quaker college outside Philadelphia. He went on to earn a PhD in political economy from the University of California, San Diego, then spent six years teaching at Arizona State University. In 2001, Chris and his wife Lisa moved to Denver – something of a homecoming for Lisa, whose maternal family are long-time Denver natives. In 2002, Chris joined the Denver Area Labor Federation and helped found and run the Front Range Economic Strategy Center, or FRESC. A research, policy, and community-union partnership organization, FRESC works to promote higher quality jobs and more affordable housing in the Denver economy while rebuilding the historic partnership between unions and the larger progressive community. In addition to his work at FRESC, Chris has been active in his neighborhood, in local and state electoral politics, and in the conservation movement, serving on the board of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. In 2007, Chris was elected to the Denver City Council with 63% of the vote. In 2010, Chris was elected by his colleagues to serve as City Council President. In 2011, Chris we re-elected to the Denver City Council unopposed, and was re-elected by his colleagues as City Council president.