The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) welcomed Janice Sinden as President & CEO in September 2016. This fourth-generation Coloradan has had her eye on the future of her state for decades and now leads the 300 artisans and administrators of the largest non-profit theatre organization in the nation.
The diversity of Janice’s career path has allowed her to support her personal passions of rich cultural experiences, access to education, and giving back to her community through her interest in politics. Before the DCPA, she served as Chief of Staff for Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock for five years. During this time, the Hancock Administration and the Department of Arts and Venues developed Denver’s first cultural plan since 1989 titled IMAGINE 2020, as well as “The Next Stage” process to reimagine the future of the 12-acre Denver Performing Arts Complex as a vibrant epicenter of entertainment, education and commerce.
Prior to joining the Hancock Administration, Janice served as the Executive Director of Colorado Concern; co-founded Pinnacle Public Affairs; served as the Manager of Community Relations, Corporate Communications for Sharp HealthCare; co-founded EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children); and co-led the effort to establish the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline. Her love for community building and public service sparked after her graduation from the University of Northern Colorado when she moved to Washington, D.C. to work for then U.S. Senator Wayne Allard.
Janice has been recognized by 5280 magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in Denver, by the Colorado Women’s Foundation as one of the 25 most influential women in Colorado, by the Girl Scouts of Colorado as a Woman of Distinction, and by the University of Northern Colorado Department of Political Science and International Affairs as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. She currently serves on the boards of Citizens for Arts to Zoo, the University of Northern Colorado, VISIT Denver, the American Transplant Foundation, the Denver Preschool Program, EPIC and Mental Health Colorado, and is a member of the national Performing Arts Centers Consortium and Colorado Concern. Previously, she was appointed by Governors Owens and Ritter to serve on the Colorado Creative Industries Council which invests in Colorado’s artistic workforce so creative entrepreneurs and enterprises will flourish.