Senate committee unanimously confirms Lauren Kwame to Colorado Health Facilities Authority

At a Senate Health and Human Services committee meeting, members unanimously recommended Lauren Kwame for appointment to the Colorado Health Facilities Authority.

The nomination drew introductory remarks from Melanie Layton, a contract lobbyist with Colorado Legislative Strategies, who described COFA’s mission as helping public and nonprofit health-care institutions access lower-cost capital through tax-exempt bonds. "COFA was created by statute in 1977," Layton said, and "is not a state agency, receives no state funds, and its obligations do not constitute debt for the state of Colorado." Lauren Kwame introduced herself to the committee as "vice president of treasury management at Midwest 1 Bank here in Denver," and said she has about 20 years of commercial-banking experience focused on cash flow and access to capital.

The committee member serving as vice chair moved a favorable recommendation for Kwame’s appointment; the clerk called the roll and the motion passed unanimously. The committee placed the nomination on the consent calendar for further consideration by the full Senate.

Layton and Kwame framed the appointment as a fit for COFA’s stated mission to lower financing costs for health-care providers; the committee’s vote advances the appointment to the next stage of legislative consideration.