Changemaker: Pennfield Tate III
Penfield Tate III spent his childhood on various military bases during his father’s service in the United States Army before the family ultimately moved to Boulder. Penfield’s first memory of CHFA involves driving his father, Penfield Tate II, an attorney and public servant, to Denver to attend CHFA board meetings in the 1980s.
“On occasion, especially in the summer, I would drive him into Denver for meetings,” Penfield recalled. “My father was the first Black member of CHFA’s Board of Directors. As I drove him into Denver, he would get his notes together. I remember him talking about all the affordable housing that CHFA was developing, because even in the 70s and 80s, there was a dearth of affordable housing in Colorado.”
In 1984, Penfield began work at his father’s law firm, where he worked closely with Denver Housing Authority (DHA). This work provided him with his first experience in affordable housing. He would go on to work in the administration of Denver Mayor Frederico Peña, where he would continue to work with DHA as the Mayor’s liaison.
“That got me immersed in the world of federally subsidized housing,” Penfield explained. “I worked closely with HUD, and also worked with the Denver Urban Renewal Authority as they did urban redevelopment alongside affordable housing development.”
At the end of Peña’s term, Penfield returned to work in the private sector where he continued to work closely with Denver Housing Authority, serving as outside counsel.
“During this time, we saw the introduction of tenant-based assistance, which allowed tenants to work with landlords who would accept housing vouchers,” Penfield explained.
Around this same time, Penfield accepted a role as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Administration under Governor Roy Romer. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, Romer nominated Penfield to serve on the CHFA Board of Directors in 1993.
“There were still some board members at that time who had served with my father,” said Penfield. “What I found fascinating was CHFA’s role in helping to incentivize development in rural parts of the state where private development money won’t always go. CHFA’s role did not end in the urban centers. It had to be statewide in its scope and reach, and we were very intentional about that. And it’s not just housing. CHFA has been a monumental catalyst for economic development throughout the state.”
Change sometimes happens slowly, but it happens. We need to talk to one another to find solutions to problems that impact us all. Typically, if you talk long enough and you work hard enough you will find those solutions that work for most people.
Following a return to practicing law in the private sector, Governor Romer nominated Penfield to serve a second term on CHFA’s Board as a private citizen from 1996 to 1999.
“At that time, CHFA was an agency that not a lot of people understood nor had heard about, but everyone who dealt with CHFA and its staff were huge fans,” he explained. “What CHFA brought to communities was hope. That was refreshing, encouraging, and it made me proud of the work that CHFA did.”
Penfield was vice chair of the Colorado Democratic Party from 1994 to 1996 until his election to the Colorado General Assembly as a Representative for the 8th district in North Denver. In 2000, he was elected to serve as a State Senator.
“I carried a lot of housing legislation at the Capitol due to my prior involvement with the Denver Housing Authority,” Penfield explained. “In 2000, I sponsored House Bill 00-1284, which allowed residents to serve on the boards of public housing authorities. The bill also established a sales and use tax exemption for public housing authorities and the materials they use in the development of affordable housing.”
Penfield earned a reputation for championing causes related to human rights that were initially unpopular and met with strong resistance. For seven consecutive years, Penfield ran a criminal enhancement bill that would increase penalties for perpetrators of hate crimes motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Each year, it was voted down.
“Change sometimes happens slowly, but it happens,” said Penfield. “We need to talk to one another to find solutions to problems that impact us all. Typically, if you talk long enough and you work hard enough you will find those solutions that work for most people. I know there will be defeats along the way, but you keep pushing.”
The criminal enhancement bill was eventually passed by the Colorado General Assembly and signed into law after Penfield’s career in the legislature had ended. His advice for those who wish to enter public service is to maintain openness and a willingness to collaborate and compromise.
“Be prepared to listen before you talk,” he advised. “No one is wrong all the time, and no one is right all the time. There must be give and take, and it cannot be a zero-sum game with absolute losers and absolute winners. That is not a way to build a community. You have got to find a way where there are multiple winners.”
“My father never lived to see me hold elected office,” he continued. “But he knew I was going to run for office. One of the things he used to tell me was, ‘You have to remember that your name is Penfield. It’s not Representative, and it’s not Senator. There is someone who held the title and position before you, and there’s someone who will hold the title and position after you. The key thing is to be yourself, to stand on your values and your principles, but remember that this is just a period of time.’ I think that gives a really important perspective as a public servant.”