Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC and City of Colorado Springs Align for a Future of Growth and Opportunity at State of the City, Presented by Underline

By: Nicole Jomantas

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Nearly 900 business and community leaders gathered at The Broadmoor on Thursday morning for the annual State of the City, Presented by Underline.

Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s third State of the City address served as his “halftime report” where, two years into his first term, the mayor stood before a packed ballroom to celebrate hard-won progress and unveil a second-half strategy for a city on the move.

“We will keep our eyes on the end zone, digging deep, pressing forward, and finishing strong,” Mayor Yemi told the crowd.

During his address, Mayor Yemi focused on five key priorities for the city: public safety, infrastructure, housing and homelessness, community action and economic vitality.

This year’s address underscored how closely the City and the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC are working together to sustain that momentum with the shared goal of ensuring that smart growth strengthens neighborhoods, creates quality jobs, and preserves the community’s exceptional quality of life.

During her remarks, Chamber & EDC President and CEO Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer discussed challenges facing the state of Colorado in terms of decreased private sector growth.

“According to recent data released by the non-partisan, think tank, Common Sense Institute, during the last year, July of 2024 to July of 2025, private sector job growth has decreased, while government jobs have grown in Colorado,” Reeder Kleymeyer said. “Of the 16,400 jobs created in Colorado, 10,900 were public sector jobs. That means, in one year, 66% of Colorado’s total job growth came from the public sector – the 5^th highest rate of public sector growth in the country – while we were 48^th out of the 50 states for private sector job growth.”

She stressed that the Pikes Peak region must remain a place where businesses want to invest and people want to build their futures in order to remain competitive. As Colorado Springs continues to grow, she emphasized that the Chamber & EDC’s role extends beyond convening leaders and stated that it’s about turning shared vision into concrete action.

“We need to keep making the business community’s voice heard at the state level, because a thriving private sector is what drives our tax base and Colorado’s success,” Reeder Kleymeyer said. “In the coming months, your Chamber & EDC will be unveiling ways for you to become more involved in telling our story and influencing the effort to have more pro-business legislators at the state level.”

Looking ahead, Mayor Yemi focused on six key projects driving his Peak City vision:

1. The Center for Public Safety Excellence: A state-of-the-art scenario-based regional training campus where police, fire, and emergency management teams train side by side to meet the safety needs of a growing region.
2. The North Nevada Corridor Redevelopment: Reimagining the vital corridor south of University of Colorado Colorado Springs into a vibrant hub for housing, jobs, and mobility; guided by the expertise of the Urban Land Institute.
3. Keep It Clean and Safe (KICAS): Expanding the downtown safety efforts with specialized homeless outreach and business engagement support to South Nevada, Fillmore, Uintah Gardens, and other priority areas across the city.
4. Peak Innovation Park: The 1,600-acre master-planned business parklocated at the entrance to the Colorado Springs Airport will continue to pave the way for long-term resilience in our economy, unlocking new business growth and job opportunities for the next 25 years.
5. Colorado Springs Utilities Investment: CSU will continue to invest in the long-term growth and resilience of the city, beginning with nearly $4 billion in planned improvements, in order to meet rising demands, adapt to evolving regulations, and ensure essential services remain strong for generations to come.
6. COS Creek initiative: A partnership with Colorado Springs Utilities, Pikes Peak Waterways, and the City is reimagining seven miles of Fountain and Monument Creeks; restoring nature, creating a premier destination for recreation, sparking economic vitality, and shaping a sense of place that is uniquely Colorado Springs.

“It is our turn to plant seeds of safety, infrastructure, public spaces, and visionary opportunities – seeds that will grow into shade we may never sit in, but that future generations will one day enjoy,” Mayor Yemi said.

Bob Thompson, founder and CEO of Underline – presenting sponsor of this year’s event – praised Mayor Yemi during his introduction of the mayor.

“Mayor Yemi cares deeply about keeping this community safe, vibrant, and connected, bringing his experience as an entrepreneur and business owner to his role as mayor,” Thompson said. “He knows how to encourage collaboration between our public and private sectors for the greater good and is particularly passionate about supporting businesses, whether they’re just starting out, working through growing pains or considering locating and investing in Colorado Springs.”

During the State of the City, Mayor Yemi also presented the 2025 Spirit of Colorado Springs Lifetime Achievement Award to local philanthropist David Lord who has been deeply involved with community organizations focused on downtown development, affordable housing and senior advocacy. Lord, who helped found the Pikes Peak Housing Network, also co-created the Innovations in Aging Collaborative and serves as a board member and volunteer for Silver Key Senior Services. He currently serves in many volunteer roles, including as the Chair of the Downtown Review Board for the City of Colorado Springs.

“David Lord has used his professional experience in finance and education to become an impressive philanthropist and community advocate,” said Mayor Yemi. “It is my honor to present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his humble, compassionate and impactful leadership.”