Monte Pascoe Civic Leadership Award from Dry Creek Productions on Vimeo.
On Tuesday, July 30, 2019, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock presented the 2019 Monte Pascoe Civic Leadership Award to attorney Damian Arguello at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce State of The City luncheon.
In 2006, former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper established the Monte Pascoe Civic Leadership Award to honor the legacy of Ireland Stapleton’s late partner Monte Pascoe. The first award was bestowed to Pascoe posthumously. Now, the award is presented annually by Denver’s mayor to an individual who demonstrates extraordinary service to the community, encourages others to contribute to the community, and fights for justice for all people – as Pascoe did throughout his lifetime. Pascoe played a key role in shaping the history of Denver when he helped file a lawsuit that was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court which ordered Denver Public Schools to desegregate its educational facilities. During his lifetime, he held several leadership positions including President of the Board of Trustees of the Iliff School of Theology and board memberships with the Colorado School of Mines, the Colorado Open Lands Foundation, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Arguello, this year’s award recipient, is a Denver area native and a first-generation college graduate. In 2017, he founded Colorado Insurance Law Center, a private law firm that helps insurance consumers, offers education about insurance issues, and provides insurance expert witness services. Arguello is also an adjunct professor of Insurance Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Arguello focuses his community service efforts on helping disadvantaged youth of color pursue their own opportunities to achieve and give back. Arguello currently serves on the board of the Denver Urban Debate League, the board of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Foundation, and as a mentor in the Law School Yes We Can program.