Aurora Municipal Election: Omar Montgomery – Mayoral Candidate

Omar Montgomery has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and dual Master’s Degrees in Public Administration and Education and has spent the last ten years in Aurora working on city boards, in non-profit leadership, as a member of the Democratic party.

Omar Montgomery’s Biography:

Omar spent his childhood in 1970’s Los Angeles, where he experienced many challenges familiar to Aurora. Sprawl made 30-minute drives across the city common. Economic restructuring brought opportunity to certain areas–but kept it out of reach in others.

Those who could afford to keep their homes or businesses amidst rising costs did, but many others were forced to move.

Omar’s mother drove some of his hometown’s most challenging routes as a public bus driver, and later become a supervisor. His father worked as an educator both in the classroom, and as a volunteer tutor in community.

Omar says that these experiences taught him the value of hard work—and that when communities are empowered to solve problems by building shared goals and trust, every neighbor benefits.

Omar moved to Aurora in 2002. In Aurora he has continued his family’s tradition of serving people. As a professor at MSU Denver, Omar launched an annual workshop teaching teenagers conflict resolution techniques, time management, and career planning.

Omar now serves as Director of Educational Opportunity Programs at CU Denver, where he has founded several more youth leadership programs dedicated to nurturing high school and college students’ individual civic engagement skills.

Omar has also continued his family’s tradition of working strengthen community. As a key stakeholder in Colorado’s Transforming Safety Initiative, Omar worked with others to bring new grants to North Aurora’s small businesses, creating new economic opportunities for neighborhoods otherwise vulnerable to crime.

He continues to work directly with the Aurora Police Department’s Citizens’ Advisory Board and Key Community Response Team to improve law enforcement’s relationships with underprivileged communities. He is also board chairperson at the Village Exchange Center—a “one stop shop” supporting integration, engagement and empowerment of Aurora’s immigrants and refugees.

Omar’s years of experience directly serving Aurora’s communities has given him vision and experience. He believes we can unlock the most effective solutions to our city’s challenges by empowering residents and small business owners with a more meaningful and substantive say in setting our city’s priorities and approach to development and maintenance.

Omar has a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice, and Dual Master’s in Education Administration and Public Administration.

He serves as president of the Aurora branch of the NAACP but on a break while running for office, and is a member of Aurora’s Budget and Golf Commissions. He is a proud family man, father, and companion to his dog, Marley.