Pat Waak

Pat Waak is the former Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. After an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives from Congressional District 4 of Colorado in 2002, she went from the Weld County Democratic Executive Committee to being elected as chair of the state party in 2005. In 2009 she was elected to a third term as chair, the first chair to serve three consecutive terms in 54 years. She helped to bring the 2008 Democratic National Convention to Denver, Colorado and oversaw the highly successful Democratic transition in the state of Colorado. Pat was a member of the executive committees of the Democratic National Committee and the Association of State Democratic Chairs. She was also on the board of the DNC’s Women’s Caucus. She has worked on Presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representative and Gubernatorial campaigns, as well as other more local campaigns. Those credentials include serving as the Deputy Campaign Manager for Sargent Shriver's 1976 presidential campaign, one of the first women to serve in that position. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, she was appointed to the Carter Administration at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Pat Waak holds degrees in nursing, psychology and theology. She currently is the President of the Colorado Women’s Leadership Circles of Influence which is seeking to identify and support women in roles as decision makers.