Gail H. Klapper

Gail H. Klapper
Member/President, Colorado Forum

A fourth-generation Colorado native, Ms. Klapper received her B.A. in Political Science from Wellesley College where she served as President of College Government. She earned a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Colorado Law School in 1968. Ms. Klapper was appointed as a White House Fellow by President Gerald Ford. After her term in Washington, Ms. Klapper returned to Colorado to serve as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet, running the Department of Regulatory Agencies and the Department of Personnel. In 1982, she was a candidate in a statewide race for Attorney General of Colorado.

Gail Klapper has been the Member/President of the Colorado Forum since 1989. She also serves as Co-President of the Building a Better Colorado Board and Co-President of the Colorado Forum Fund Board.

Ms. Klapper currently serves on the Board of Gold, Inc. She previously served as Chair of the Board of Empower Funds and was a member of the Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Board and the Guaranty Bancorp Board. She also served on the Executive Board of the National Western Stock Show Association, the Colorado State Fair Board, and the Boards of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and National Jewish Health.

Gail was the founding President of the Hotel Authority Board that secured funding, built, and operates the Hyatt Regency Convention Center Hotel in Denver. In addition, she has chaired the following Boards of Trustees: Boston-based Wellesley College, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Denver Partnership, the Public Education and Business Coalition (Founder), the Rhodes Scholarship Selection committee, and she served on the National White House Fellows Selection Panel and chaired the Regional White House Fellows Selection Panel. Ms. Klapper was the first recipient of the annual Leadership Denver Association Award for Outstanding Achievement. She was also the recipient of the University of Colorado’s Norlin Award for Professional Excellence; the University of Colorado’s Public Service Award; Urban Peak’s Maverick Thinker Award; the Denver Regional Council of Governments Service Award; the Cal Frazier Investing in Education Award; the Downtown Denver Partnership Honorary Partner Award and the Top Hand Award from the National Western Stock Show Association. In 2022, Gail was awarded the highest honor of the University of Colorado Law School with the William Lee Knous award in recognition of outstanding achievement and sustained service to Colorado Law.

Ms. Klapper manages the family’s 6K Ranch and Tack business in Elbert, Colorado where they raise, train and show reining horses and sell equipment, clothing and feed. She is the 3rd generation of her family to live and produce legacy apples on the family farm in Lakewood, CO.

Gail is married to Jack A. Klapper, M.D. They have four wonderful daughters and seven awesome grandchildren.