Wael Khalifa

Wael Khalifa Special Aide to the Mayor

City & County of Denver

khalifa.wk@gmail.com
720-668-4212

Graduating Class: 2017

Industry: Government & Public Administration

BIO

Wael Khalifa is currently serving as the Special Aide to the Mayor of Denver Michael B. Hancock. As a Denver native, he is thrilled to work for his home city and bring his vast multicultural and globalized experience to public service. Wael departed the city during his early formative years and lived abroad in Kenya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and South Korea to then return to the United States during his senior year of high school. Wael then matriculated to the University of Colorado at Boulder where he studied Ethnic Studies to aide a greater pursuit of self discovery and understanding race relations in America. Upon completion he was accepted to the University of Colorado at Denver’s 1-year Accelerated Master of Public Administration program. Wael has spent the last 7 years as a dedicated public servant in the areas of workforce development, economic development, legislative affairs and working directly with multiple elected officials at the State and city level. On a more personal note, Wael enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with loved ones and playing soccer. In addition, he is also an active member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity which provides an array of services to the community through building strong bonds with professionals of almost every endeavor.

EDUCATION

Master of Public Administration
University of Colorado Denver
Aug ’13

B.A., Ethnic Studies; Minor, Religious Studies
University of Colorado at Boulder
Aug ’12

WORK EXPERIENCE

Office of Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock 

Special Aide to the Mayor, 03/2020 – Present

  • Provide day-to-day logistical coordination for the Mayor and security detail
  • Staff the May0r at all major events, meetings and external activities
  • Ensure the Mayor is prepared and briefed for all meeting engagements
  • Support the Chief of Staff on a variety of research initiatives
  • Support the Legislative Director on key policy and legislative areas

 

Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis

Legislative Coordinator, 01/2019 – 03/2020

  • Managed the official bill review process, which included review & sign-off for 460 bills
  • Planned & organized the Governor’s Bill Signing Ceremonies & Bill Signing Tour
  • Managed communication with 18 Legislative Liaisons from the executive branch departments
  • Provided the Governor with regular briefings & organizing events on behalf of the office

 

Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade

Business Funding & Incentives Program Analyst, 06/2017 – 01/2019

  • Managed the $10M per year Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program & the $750K per year Advanced Industry Tax Credit Program
  • Organized & delegated roles for the Colorado Opportunity Zone Conference with Business Funding & Incentives

 

Office of Colorado State Representative James Coleman (HD7)

Chief of Staff, 11/2016 – 06/2017

  • Developed & implemented a comprehensive manual/blueprint on how to manage the Office of a State Representative
  • Represented as liaison to other legislators’ offices, the Governor’s legislative liaisons & all external groups
  • Supervised, established duties & procedures for the office’s Policy Director, Capitol Liaison & Community Liaison

 

Boulder County Government

Business Engagement Representative, 06/2016 – 11/2016

  • Oversaw effectuation of 11 core services provided to business partners to 167 businesses
  • Served as writer for the End-of-Year-Report submitted to the Colorado Workforce Development Council
  • Represented as liaison to the US Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship & the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment
  • Established sector partnerships & internship agreements with IT, Healthcare & Advanced Manufacturing companies
  • Facilitated the construction of a Talent Pool system to streamline job ready candidates to businesses
  • Designed 15 hiring events & job fairs with extremely successful results

 

Adams County Government

Career Services Specialist, 12/2014 – 06/2016

  • Educated staff & clients regarding unemployment procedures & polices & workforce programs
  • Served as Editor of the monthly Workforce & Business Center news Letter
  • Represented office at the Colorado Workforce Development Council Job Seeker Lean Initiative (Feb ’16)

 

Community College of Denver

Welcome Center Manager & Tour Coordinator, 01/2014 – 12/2014

  • Served as main point of contact for all tours, visitations & general questions
  • Actively contributed as a member of the management team overseeing:
      • (1) Supervision & approval of pay for 20 student ambassadors
      • (2) Approval of requests through the Conference Room Reservation System & event coordination
      • (3) Planning, coordinating & facilitating New Student Orientation
      • (4) Coverage for 2 information services desks, open from 8:00am to 7:00pm, M-F
      • (5) Scheduling & organizing all campus wide visitations & tours
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