About Betsy

SKILLED PUBLIC SERVANT
Upon graduation from college in 1978 Betsy, moved to Washington, DC to engage in public service. Her first assignment was as a legislative aide on the House Subcommittee on Post Office and Civil Service.

Upon the change in administrations, Betsy moved on and worked her way through a graduate program for a Masters of Public Administration.  In 1983 she was appointed a Presidential Management Fellow and earned coveted assignments in the Treasury Department and State Department.  At the end of the fellowship, State recruited her for permanent employment as the new Director of Computer Security Policy and Training in the newly-formed Office of Information Systems Security .

Betsy's job entailed accessing the threats and vulnerabilities of the Department of State’s classified and unclassified computers and crafting new computer security policies. This job involved extensive travel to overseas embassies and consulates.  Betsy held a top secret security clearance and got an early look into the window of cyber terrorism and physical threats to US overseas assets. Before leaving State following the birth of her second daughter, Betsy was awarded the State  Department’s Meritorious Honor Award and had attained the level of a GS14.

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN
Betsy and her husband started an Internet business, Syscom Services, from their home in the late 1980s.  By 1996 with Betsy as CEO and CFO, the business had grown to be number 99 on Inc's list of the 500 fasted-growing private companies in America. While day to day management has been shifted to an onsite president, the company, owned by a group of employees and the founders, continues to thrive and keeps Betsy in touch with the challenges of every small business person, including healthcare, taxes and regulation.

After moving to Colorado in the mid-1990s Betsy bought and operated Huckleberry’s a successful and popular coffee and ice cream shop in Old Town Fort Collins. In this retail business she not only worked with and employed younger people, including her own children, but she helped enrich the Old Town area. She sold the business in 2001 when she began to devote more time to political issues.

ACTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBER
Betsy has been active as a volunteer in the community. She served as President of the Board of Directors of the Food Bank for Larimer County. She also chaired the Food Bank’s capital campaign which raised nearly a million dollars to expand the Food Bank facility and the services they provide. In her spare time she also volunteered in the Poudre R-1 School District.

In 2001 Betsy got involved in local politics for the first time and once again inspired success. She founded the Northern Colorado Democratic Business Coalition to encourage small business owners to voice their opinions. In 2002, she was elected to Chair the Larimer County Democratic Party, a position she held until January 2005. During her tenure the party grew exponentially and elected several Democrats to public office at the local, state and national level.

EXPERIENCED VOICE IN THE 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
From January 2005 to May of 2007, Betsy Markey served the people of the 4th Congressional District as U.S. Senator Ken Salazar’s Regional Director for the north central and high plains region of Colorado. Betsy was Senator Salazar’s eyes and ears for the region that comprises the overwhelming majority of the people and land in the 4th Congressional District. She oversaw all activities and issues in the region and worked closely with businesses, agricultural groups, elected leaders, non-profits and individual constituents to represent their interests.

WIFE AND MOTHER
Betsy has been married to her husband Jim for 23 years.  They have three children: Katie, 21, Erin, 20, Al, 16.  She enjoys spending time at her cabin in Sedgwick Colorado, hiking, tennis, reading, traveling and any other excuse to spend time with Jim and the kids.

EDUCATION
Betsy holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Florida and a Masters degree in Public Administration, with an emphasis on public finance, from American University.

Her honors and past professional affiliations include: Pi Alpha Alpha (the National Honor Society for Public Administrators), National Association of Female Executives, National Association of Women Business Owners, International Network for Women in Enterprise and Trade, Who’s Who in American Women, 1988, Who’s Who in Executives, 1996/97, and the Colorado Institute for Leadership Training, class of 2002.