Lee Kemp is a dedicated public official recognized for his expertise in transportation, and respected for his ability to solve problems and achieve consensus.  During his 36 years in the work force, 7 years on the RTD Board and life-long commitment to public service, Lee has demonstrated that hard work and determination are the keys to being successful.

Lee’s values and work ethic were instilled in him at a young age by his parents.  His father, a World War II veteran from West Texas, worked his way up from dirt farmer to mechanic to trucking company executive.  Lee’s mother, who is 50% Cherokee Indian, and the youngest of 14 brothers and sisters, was raised in abject poverty on an Oklahoma Indian reservation. She was determined to provide Lee and his two brothers with opportunities that she and his father didn’t have and instilled in them the importance of family and service to others.

In 1972, at the age of 18 and fueled by a sense of duty to his country, Lee left his studies at Akron University and enlisted in the Army.  Lee was assigned to the Military Police as a dog trainer to conduct special operations during the fall of Saigon. After two tours of duty and four inactive years in the Army, Lee was honorably discharged in 1976.  Lee then relocated to Colorado and began working as a bus mechanic for RTD.

Over the next 15 years, he advanced from mechanic to management, and was eventually responsible for over 20 employees and the safe operation of over 700 buses and non-revenue equipment.  He left RTD in 1991 to work for Stewart and Stevenson, a mass transit and heavy equipment manufacturer.  Today, Lee is the Western Region Sales Manager for Daimler Buses of North America.  He has been nationally recognized within the company, including receiving Daimler’s 2010 salesperson of the year award.

Lee was first elected to the RTD Board of Directors in 2004.  In 2008, Lee was unanimously elected as Chairman of the RTD Board and has been unanimously elected as Chair every year since, making him the only Board member to hold the position for 5 consecutive years.  Lee’s duties on the RTD Board not only include oversight of the $400 million RTD base operation budget, but also the implementation and construction of the voter-approved $7.9 billion FastTracks Capitol Investment Program.  Despite the difficulties that accompany such a massive public investment program, Lee has worked tirelessly to ensure that the public’s vision of a state of the art transportation system becomes a reality.

In addition to his work and RTD commitments, Lee volunteers in his community, working as a victim’s advocate for the Broomfield Police Department for the past 13 years, and previously as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for the 17th Judicial District from 2003 to 2010. Lee belongs to the East Lake 182 Masonic Lodge, Shriners, and the American Legion Post 182.

Lee has been married to his wife Julie for 31 years and they have resided in Broomfield for the past 16 years. Lee and Julie have three children, Melissa, 25, and Stacie, 22, both of whom are graduates of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and James, 19,  who is currently a sophomore at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Lee credits his family’s devotion, encouragement and support as the foundation for his professional success, as well as the driving force behind his commitment to the community.