Face to face with Hank Brown New law firm duties on top of role at CU Business Journal - by Mark Harden Denver Business Journal May 23, 2008

Hank Brown is joining the Denver law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as senior counsel.

Hank Brown -- a former U.S. senator, head of two universities, leader of a billion-dollar foundation, lawyer and businessman -- soon will take on a new role with one of Denver's fastest-growing and most politically connected law firms.

Brown, 68, will become senior counsel at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck starting June 1. He'll work for the firm part time on top of his new full-time teaching job at the -- but he's used to doubling up on his duties.

Denver-born George Hanks "Hank" Brown graduated from the University of Colorado in 1961, where -- after a tour of duty as a Navy aviator in Vietnam -- he received his law degree in 1969. He worked various jobs to put himself through college and law school.

He spent 11 years as an executive with Monfort of Colorado Inc., during which time he served four years in the .

In 1980, the Republican was elected to the first of five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. While in Congress, he took night classes to earn a master of law degree in taxation and to prepare for his CPA exam. He then served a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

From 1998 to 2002, he was president of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, boosting its donations and research grants. He then spent three years as president of The Daniels Fund, the charitable foundation created by the late cable magnate Bill Daniels, reducing its overhead by one-third and channeling more funds to grants and scholarships.

In 2005, he took the reins of the CU system at a time when the Boulder campus was reeling from a series of controversies, from athletic recruiting scandals and alleged rapes to firebrand professor .

Brown is credited with improving CU's image and the transparency of its administration. He settled a rape lawsuit against the university, ordered a review of the tenure process, broke fundraising records and addressed grade inflation by including class rank on student transcripts.

CU "is back on track because of his leadership," U.S. Rep. , D-Eldorado Springs, said last year.

When Brown stepped down as CU president in March, a Wall Street Journal editorial called him "the best college president you've never heard of" and suggested him for the presidency of Harvard University. Instead, Brown remains at CU, overseeing its leadership-development programs and teaching political science.

Brown spoke recently with the Denver Business Journal about his new role as well as his decades of public service and his views on education and politics. The interview was edited for space and clarity.

Q: I understand you go way back with the firm's founding partners, Norman Brownstein and Steven Farber.

A: Indeed. I knew them as undergraduates at CU, and they've been friends ever since. I had talked about joining their firm when I got out of law school 40 years ago. We talked again when I left the Senate in '97. It was something I thought about, but decided I'd enjoy teaching better. Some things just take a little time.

Q: What will you be doing for Brownstein?

A: I'll be available to help clients in a variety of areas. Water is one. General business management, [my] having been a corporate counsel, is an area that they may find some use for me. And helping people develop business strategies, strategies dealing with public issues, is part of it as well.

Q: Brownstein has a large lobbying business in Washington, but I understand you probably will not be doing any lobbying?

A: Not "probably." I will not be.

Q: With your background in higher education, what's you're view of how good a job we're doing in funding Colorado's universities and colleges?

A: By any measure, we're far below the national average [for state funding of public colleges]. It makes it really challenging for Colorado institutions.

We're pretty much victims of our past. When voters passed [Amendment 23, the 2000 constitutional measure guaranteeing annual funding increases for kindergarten-through-12th-grade education], the state established priorities. It's ironic. We're in the top 20 percent in funding [salaries for K-12 non-teaching school employees] and in the bottom 20 percent for higher ed.

Q: What do we need to do to put colleges on a better financial footing?

A: Give legislators the ability to allocate funding, which has been denied them by [various] constitutional amendments. But I don't think anyone expects that to pass right away.

Q: Gov. Bill Ritter is backing a ballot initiative that would repeal a tax credit for energy development, and use most of the extra revenue to fund college scholarships for Colorado students, but not the colleges themselves. Some have criticized the plan, saying it wouldn't directly help colleges with their bottom line.

A: Obviously the institutions need [more] operating money as well. But I think the availability of scholarships is very helpful.

Q: Business leaders often complain that many Colorado high-school graduates aren't ready for college and for highly skilled jobs. What's your view?

A: You get a nonrepresentative view of it at an institution that has very high admission standards. But for most of the state, we're just not doing the job that we need to. And part of it is the grade inflation that has had such an impact on K-12 over the years. You see kids graduate with much higher grade averages, but not an increase or sometimes even [a decline in] test scores.

Q: Is the measure to create new statewide education standards that the governor signed recently part of the answer?

A: A lot of folks are focused on that. I have a little bit different view than most people. In Colorado and the U.S., we're doing a number of things differently [in our schools] than the rest of the world -- and they have better results than we do.

One is the length of the school day. It's been reduced over the last 40 years. Generally, our competitors both across the Pacific and in Europe tend to go to school eight hours while we go to school six hours.

No. 2, they tend to have a lot more homework than we do. No. 3, they have longer school years.

Fourth, other [countries] have real consequences for students not performing. If you don't master your subjects, you don't get to go on. And that's a huge motivator.

Fifth, they tend to focus on substantive subjects rather than some of the fluff courses that have drifted into our curriculum.

We've got to understand that we have to compete. It takes a much more serious attitude to education by Americans than what we have.

Q: It's a fascinating political year in Colorado, with races for president, U.S. Senate and control of the Legislature. Any predictions? A: It's clear that, at least right now, the Republicans have an uphill battle [in Colorado]. The state Senate would be difficult [for Republicans to win control from the majority Democrats], but with the Statehouse, you never know. It can swing wildly.

To some extent it depends on what happens with the 527 money [raised by largely unregulated political groups that try to influence elections without specifically backing a candidate]. The massive amount of money spent by 527s played a big part in the Democratic takeover, and any change back would depend on whether Republicans can match them in that area.

Q: In the presidential race, do you see Colorado being a battleground?

A: No question. We're maybe one of four or five states that are really on the line.

I think it will be fairly close in Colorado. [GOP candidate John] McCain is a neighbor and has a shot at winning here.

Q: You've spent a good part of your career devoted to public service. Has it been worth it, and is it something you would recommend to a young person?

A: Oh, absolutely. I've enjoyed every minute of it. I feel very, very lucky to have had a chance to do those things. Ultimately, what you look for in a career is a challenge, something that's not only going to be interesting but will make a difference.

To any young people who ask me, I urge them to get a career, make a success of it, and then take some time to serve and give back. I try to discourage them from just going into politics [first]. People want to know that you were able to make a living on your own and did a decent job of it.