Whether it be a small mom-and-pop or a Fortune 500 company, Frank Teunissen understands business relations.
Teunissen is running against incumbent Casey Tighe for the seat on the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners that represents District 2 --; the central part of the county.
If elected, one thing Teunissen will focus on is sensible economic growth in the county.
"Jefferson County is competing with all the other counties in the metro area," he said. "I want us to be the role model for the entire state."
To do this, Teunissen plans on working to be attractive to new businesses that bring good jobs to the county and to increase employment opportunities with existing businesses.
Teunissen has been in the banking and finance industry for 28 years. In his current role as business relationship manager at Centennial Bank and Trust in Golden, Teunissen sees the challenges businesses face every day, he said.
Growth and development are inevitable in Jefferson County, Teunissen said, but residents also appreciate the amenities, specifically the open space.
"We've got the world's biggest playground in our backyards," he said. "I want to make sure we protect it."
Teunissen, 51, has lived in Jefferson County for 28 years. He is active in the Morse Park Neighborhood Organization in Lakewood.
His parents brought Teunissen to Morrison in 1977 and he graduated from Bear Creek High School. He then served four years in the Navy. Teunissen met his wife in Chicago while he was taking courses in economics, business management and accounting at William Rainer Harper College, Illinois. The two worked at the same banking institution.
In 1999, the family moved back to Colorado --; specifically Jeffco --; because Teunissen wanted his three sons to have the same opportunities he had growing up here.
Teunissen cares for the betterment of the community, said Rick Enstrom, an executive with his family business, Enstrom Candies, who has known Teunissen for about five years. He has a great work ethic and compassion for others, he added.
"He's the kind of guy," Enstrom said, "who, during a snowstorm, will help you dig your car out."
A county commissioner's job is one of the hardest in America, said Enstrom, who was a Mesa County commissioner from 1978-1982. A commissioner has to be clued in to every aspect of the residents, he said. But because Teunissen is fiscally responsible and has a love for his community, he is a fine candidate for the seat, Enstrom said.
Volunteering and giving back to the community is important, Teunissen said. He challenges his staff at Centennial Bank and Trust to volunteer somewhere for at least one hour a week.
Teunissen was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Lakewood for three years before becoming charter president of the Kiwanis Club of Broomfield/North Metro when it formed in 2010.
In 2008, he volunteered on the Jefferson County Economic Development Council, and in 2010, he was involved with the North Metro Governmental Affairs Committee. He completed The West Chamber's Leadership Jefferson County program and teaches its city government day.
Representing the Republican Party, he was first an area coordinator about six years ago, then became district captain for HD 23, which is the northern Lakewood area, for three years. For about 2 1/2 years, he was treasurer for the Jefferson County Republican Party, but recently stepped down so he could run for county commissioner.
Two of Teunissen's strongest attributes are delegating in a positive manner and taking the advice of others, said Andy Inhelder, a mortgage broker who has known Teunissen since 1999 when the two met in the banking industry.
"He's very open-minded," Inhelder said. And "he's got a passion for seeing the county grow, and how to make it better."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://goldentranscript.net/stories/County-challenger-banking-on-business-knowledge,236598?branding=15
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