Successful Northern Colorado Business Woman Announces Campaignfor 4th CD

CONTACT:
Bryan Jameson
970-581-6941
bryan@banulife.com

FORT COLLINS, CO – Betsy Markey, a successful business woman, mother and public servant, announced her campaign for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.  Betsy announced her candidacy with her husband Jim and their three children Katie, Erin and Al, at the Weld County Democrats monthly luncheon in Greeley on Friday, June 1, and then at a party for family and friends at her home in Fort Collins that evening.

“My campaign is about the basic values that have made America strong - hard work, integrity, patience, discipline and a can-do spirit. I believe our leaders should constantly seek solutions and not fight over their differences. That is the kind of leader I have been in business and in government, that is the kind of leader I am today, and that is why I’m running for Congress,” said Markey.

Markey has a deep background in both business and government. She is the co-founder and former CFO of Syscom Services, an Inc. 500 software and web development firm. During the mid 1990’s Betsy was also the owner of Huckleberry’s, a successful and popular coffee and ice cream shop in Old Town Fort Collins. Earlier in her career, Betsy was a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of State during the Reagan Administration, where she managed classified computer security programs and attained the military rank equivalent of Lieutenant Colonel. She has also worked as Committee Staff for the U.S. House of Representatives and as a policy analyst in the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Markey’s campaign is off to a strong and impressive start.  Besides the ever growing support of family, friends, neighbors and business-owners for her candidacy, Markey has the backing of several of the local 4th Congressional District’s most influential leaders, including:

• State Senator Bob Bacon
• Stan Matsunaka, former State Senate President and CD4 candidate
• Peggy Reeves, former State Senator
• State Representative John Kefalas
• Bryan Jameson,  former State Representative
• Bernie Strom, former State Representative
• Pam Shaddock, Greeley City Council Member
• ML Johnson, Poudre School District Board Member
• John Gascoyne, former Larimer County Democratic Party Chair
• Char McDaniel, former Larimer County Democratic Party Chair
• Allison Cortner, Executive Director, Southern Colorado Economic Development District

Since January 2005, Betsy Markey has served the people of the 4th Congressional District as U.S. Senator Ken Salazar’s Regional Director for the north central and high plains region of Colorado. “I do not know anyone who understands the people and the issues in the 4th Congressional District better than Betsy.  Her ties to the business community and ability to relate to farmers, ranchers and everyone she meets enables her to see solutions where few can.  The people of the 4th Congressional District will be well served by Betsy” said Senator Ken Salazar.

“There are few people I’ve worked with who are as principled as Betsy or as good at setting and meeting goals. She’ll be an effective Representative for this district and I’m excited that she is in the race,” said Stan Matsunaka, former Colorado Senate President and Congressional candidate.
Markey has also been active in the community. She is a past President of the Board of Directors for the Food Bank for Larimer County, founder of the Democratic Business Coalition as well as Chair of the Larimer County Democratic Party. “It is no accident that Betsy has been successful at everything she does,” says Allison Cortner, Executive Director of Southern Colorado Economic Development District, “she works hard and knows how to get things done.”
Betsy plans to visit all 18 counties in the 4th Congressional District this summer to meet with residents about the issues that affect them every day, listen to their concerns and seek common sense solutions that she can take to Washington.