Darrell B. Watson is the co-founder and principal of the Watson Wenk Group, a catalyst transforming how governmental agencies, for profit businesses, and nonprofits leverage justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) as transformational tools for collaborative engagement in BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) & other untapped communities.
Darrell is a skilled communicator with 20+ years of experience bridging the gap between communities and policymakers. He cultivates successful strategic partnerships through his facilitation of community discussions and participation in strategic planning processes that impact Denver neighborhoods and open space.
He is the chair of the Housing Stability Strategic Advisors board co-creating with community common sense policies to address the housing crisis as well as developing strategies to increase wrap around services that lead to permanent housing for currently unsheltered residents.
As the former co-Chair of the Denver Game Plan for a Healthy City, a former Chair of the Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (DPRAB) and the current Chair and founding board member of the Denver Park Trust, Darrell has collaborated with community members, Denver Parks and Recreation, and Denver City Council members to pass common sense policies that created a dedicated funding source for parks, created a foundation to increase park space and quality parks throughout Denver and created the 30-year strategic plan, Gameplan for a Healthy City, detailing strategies that will lead Denver in reclaiming its ‘City in a Park’ heritage.
As the former co-Chair of the Denver Biased Policing Task Force. He coordinated with Denver City Council, the office of the Mayor, Denver Police Department, and the wider community to update DPD training when contacting community members and create tactics to reduce instances of biased policing across the city.
Darrell has also served the city and state on the following boards:
2020 – Governor Polis Appointee – Colorado Secure Savings ProgramBoard
2019 – 2020 – Board Member – Colorado Business Committee for the Arts
2018 – 2020 Vice Chair, NorthEast Denver Innovation Zone
2013 – Graduate, Denver Chamber Leadership Denver ‘Greatest Class Ever’
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- President – Whittier Neighborhood Association, Registered Neighborhood Organization
- Board of Trustee Member – The Denver Foundation
- Executive Board Member – National Stonewall Democratic Federation
- Member – Denver Land Use and Transportation Task Force
- Chair – Colorado Stonewall Democrats