Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame names Class of 2027

The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2027 on July 22 in Denver, honoring 11 inductees plus founder M.L. Hanson during Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood. The class will be formally recognized at the Hall’s induction gala on March 26, 2027.

Why it matters: - The Class of 2027 adds 12 more women to a Hall of Fame that has recognized 205 women for leadership and service across Colorado. - The announcement lands during Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood, giving the class added historical significance. - The inductees span education, science, business, public service, healthcare, media, law and advocacy, showing the breadth of women’s impact in the state.

What happened: - The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2027 on July 22, 2026, at IMA Financial Group in Denver. - The 2027 class includes 11 contemporary inductees and 3 historical inductees, along with founder M.L. Hanson. - The Hall will formally honor the inductees at its gala on March 26, 2027. - Businesses, organizations and community leaders are being invited to support the event through sponsorships, corporate tables and attendance.

The details: - Executive Director Barb Beckner said the theme for the class is “Dream Big,” and linked the honorees to courage, opportunity and long-term impact. - Janine Davidson, PhD, is a former Air Force pilot, the first woman to fly the tactical C-130, and president of Metropolitan State University of Denver since 2017. - Lucille EchoHawk has spent more than four decades advancing Native American child welfare and philanthropy and co-founded the Denver Indian Center, the Denver Indian Family Resource Center and Native Americans in Philanthropy. - M.L. Hanson founded the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1984 after serving as Assistant Vice President at United Bank of Denver and later leading nonprofit organizations and the Women’s Leadership Foundation. - Florence Hernández-Ramos founded Denver’s KUVO jazz public radio station and later co-founded the Latino Public Radio Consortium. - Rebecca Love Kourlis is a former Colorado Supreme Court justice who founded the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver. - Leslie Leinwand, PhD, is a molecular biologist at the University of Colorado Boulder whose research advanced understanding of inherited heart disease; she also co-founded Myogen and MyoKardia. - Margaret A. “Peggy” Lemone, PhD, was the first woman to become a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. - Donna Lynne, DrPH, served as Colorado’s 49th lieutenant governor and first chief operating officer before becoming CEO of Denver Health. - Gail Schwartz served in the Colorado State Senate, the University of Colorado Board of Regents and as CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Roaring Fork Valley. - Diane T. Wendt was the University of Denver’s first director of women’s athletics and a national advocate for Title IX. - Joyce Porter Arneill co-founded the National Federation of Republican Women and served as its first president. - Betty Jennings helped establish legal, licensed nurse-midwifery in Colorado and launched the University of Colorado’s nurse-midwifery education program. - Marcy Morrison was the first woman elected to the Manitou Springs School Board and later served as county commissioner, state representative, mayor and Colorado insurance commissioner.

Between the lines: - The Hall is using this class to connect past and present leadership, especially by honoring Hanson, whose work helped create the organization itself. - The slate reflects a deliberate mix of institutional builders, barrier breakers and public servants, which broadens the Hall’s narrative beyond a single profession or era. - The emphasis on “Dream Big” signals a focus on ambition as civic impact, not just individual achievement.

What’s next: - The inductees will be celebrated at the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Gala on March 26, 2027. - The Hall is seeking sponsorships, corporate tables and community participation ahead of the gala. - The organization’s social channels and online updates are positioned to amplify the class and event promotion.

The bottom line: - Colorado’s 2027 honorees reflect how women have shaped the state’s schools, science, health care, media, law and public life — and how the Hall aims to keep those legacies visible for the next generation.