Eva Henry's Story

From Struggle to Service

Adams County is in my blood. I grew up here and raised my children as a single mother, living in the house behind the one I grew up in. It wasn’t easy raising two young children on my own. There were many times I struggled financially to put a roof over our heads and food on the table.

During those times, I had to rely on kindness from the community and help from assistance programs. Through work and perseverance, my situation improved, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without having access to food and housing assistance when we needed it.

In 2007, I wanted to give back and represent a community that gave so much to me and my children, and so I ran for Thornton City Council. I won by 63%. After serving my first term, I was reelected in 2011 with bipartisan support of 74%. During my tenure on City Council, I advocated for policies supporting labor unions and workers, small businesses, environmental sustainability, ending discriminatory policies, and much more.

In 2012, I was elected as the Commissioner for Adams County District 1 and have been serving in that role since. I’ve worked to turn resident priorities into local action for good-paying jobs, great quality of life, and powerful resources for justice and opportunity.

My children are now grown, and are happy, healthy adults raising their own families. I look back on my struggles as a single mother and know that all of my hard work was to make a better future for my children.

Those experiences helped shape the type of leader I am today. I am intimately aware of what a lot of our families in Adams County are going through during hard economic struggles. We are a community of families, and we are all working hard to make a better future for our children, which is why I fight every day to champion the issues that matter most.

What We've Accomplished

Championed social justice through an investment of a modern facility, consolidating all human services agencies into the Pete Mirelez Human Services Center where residents can conveniently access services in a single location.
Protected open space in Adams County and promoted quality of life with $86 million for parks and open space projects.
Offered opportunity for low-income families with four-year scholarships for children receiving free and reduced school lunches.
Won the relocation of large new Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) employers and aerospace companies to Adams County’s Colorado Air and Spaceport.

Community Service

Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
Adams County Regional Economic Development (Executive Committee)
Maiker Housing Authority (Chair)
Airport Coordinating Committee (Negotiation Team)
North Area Transportation Association

Past Board Service

Adams County Housing Authority
Metro Vision
Airport Coordinating Committee (Including negotiation team with Denver regarding DIA)
Children Outreach Project
Adams County Blue Ribbon on the Homeless
Denver Metro Housing Initiative