Candidate hopes to foster bipartisan spirit if elected
Mark Hillman, a republican candidate in the race to be Colorado’s next state treasurer, is a native to Colorado who enjoys working on the family farm and visiting locally owned coffee shops.
Hillman was born and raised in Burlington, Colo., and still lives there today.
He received his college education from a community college in Colby, Kan., and later at Morgan Community College in Burlington, Colo. His wife, Heidi, is a CU alumna with a degree in political science.
Hillman served as the Colorado state treasurer in 2006 of behalf of current treasurer, Mike Coffman. Coffman took a nine-month leave of absence this year to rejoin the Marine Corps and help with the Iraqi elections.
“I faced the same challenges that anyone would in taking on a complicated job,” Hillman said. “But the office was in great shape. Mike had a great staff.”
Hillman said that although he had a head start, it took long hours and planning to get the treasury to its present state.
“My biggest accomplishment this year was working out a bipartisan compromise as to make PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association) more secure and stable,” he said.
If elected, Hillman said that his first order of business will be teaming up with democrats.
“I want to build a coalition of democrats and republicans to understand the importance of long-range planning,” Hillman said. “Good policy is good politics no matter what your party.”
Alongside good planning, Hillman said the priority of a treasurer and the treasury is the tax payers.
“My job is to make good investments,” Hillman said.
According to Hillman, the treasury doesn’t make decisions on where the tax payers’ money is spent, but only where it is invested.
“Our strategy is to invest in U.S. treasuries, as well as municipal and corporate bonds. These are the safest investments,” he said.
Hillman plans on investing in these bonds for as long as possible to get the most profitable return.
It’s all about “timing and coordinative planning,” Hillman said.
Hillman said it’s his experience that sets him apart from his opponent, Cary Kennedy.
“I owned and operated a family farm for 13 years, as well as had to make decisions about balancing seven state budgets,” Hillman said.
Hillman visited with the College Republicans earlier this year and participated in two fundraisers in Boulder; one was with the Property Rights Coalition. He hopes to visit Boulder again after the campaign.
