Glendale Chooses Mike Dunafon As Mayor

Bovo Becomes Mayor Pro Tem; Franssen, Logan Join The Council

by Glen Richardson

With no more candidates than offices to be filled, Glendale has elected a new Mayor and added two new faces to the City Council. In the past two election cycles, the Mayor and City Council have run unopposed.

Mike Dunafon, previously the Mayor Pro Tem, is the city’s new Mayor replacing Larry Harte who was term limited. He has been a major player in initiating and shepherding the 14-year transformation of Glendale into an entertainment hub and internationally known city. In addition to serving as Mayor Pro Tem of Glendale Dunafon has chaired the Planning Commission for the city the past 10 years. Dunafon is also the city’s alternate representative to the Denver Regional Council of Governments. He sits on several boards including Cherry Creek Transportation Solutions, the Glendale YMCA and the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce. Under his direction, Glendale became the first city in the United States to adopt rugby as the official sport of a city.

Dunafon has a BA from the University of Northern Colorado where he lettered in football for four years and was part of the All-Conference team. He signed contracts to play with the Denver Broncos in 1976 and 1977. His rugby career began in 1978 with the British Virgin Islands Rugby Football Club and continued until 1992. He has a USA Rugby Level 3 Coaching Certification.

Appointed by Mayor Dunafon, Mayor Pro Tem Paula Bovo, who prior to her position on City Council served on the Glendale Planning Commission from 2007 through 2010, will once again serve on the Planning Commission as an appointed member of Council. She also represents Glendale as a Board member for the Denver Regional Council of Governments and as the Glendale representative for the Colorado Municipal League.

Bovo has represented Glendale annually at the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Conference at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, from where she received her Juris Doctor. She is also currently the Chair of the Technology and Communications Committee for City Council. Drawing upon the knowledge she gained as a graduate of the Transit Alliance Citizens’ Academy, she has also served as the Glendale representative to the Regional Transportation District.

Scott Franssen and Mary Logan are the two new City Council members. They join Dunafon and Bovo along with Jeff Allen, Pat Opper and R. Wayne King on the City Council. Franssen is Vice President of Advancement for the National Sports Center for the Disabled. He is also a member of the Glendale Planning Commission and active in the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce. Logan is a Planning Commissioner for the City of Glendale and now represents the city as the alternate for the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Transportation Solutions Board. She has a degree in finance and a minor in economics from DU’s Daniels College of Business.