U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today met with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and the Director of the Denver Office of Economic Development Paul Washington to talk about issues facing the city’s economy and local businesses. As part of her nationwide listening tour, Secretary Pritzker is meeting with state and local leaders who are undertaking creative projects to attract business investment. Secretary Pritzker and Mayor Hancock talked about his vision for the Denver International Airport, as Mayor Hancock has proposed the development of an “aerotropolis,” a plan that would concentrate aviation-intensive businesses and related enterprises around the Denver International Airport (DIA), which is the fifth largest airport in the United States. DIA currently employs 30,000 and has an economic impact on the region of more than $20 billion.

They also discussed the importance of public-private partnerships focused on skills training and workforce development, as well as President Obama's Select USA initiative. Select USA is a federal effort to showcase the United States as the world’s premier business location in order to attract investment and create jobs, and Secretary Pritzker is leading the administration’s efforts on the initiative.

Secretary Pritzker and Mayor Hancock also discussed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s satellite space in Denver, which is helping entrepreneurs and businesses in the region. The secretary looks forward to finding ways to work together in the future, and invited the mayor to visit the next time he is in Washington, DC.