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Fote impact felt around community

John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 29, 2005 at midnight

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Charlie Fote is credited with being the driving force behind bringing First Data's corporate headquarters to the Denver area.

And while Fote's announcement Monday that he's stepping down as CEO and chairman of Colorado's largest locally based company caught economic development leaders by surprise, they expect First Data to keep its corporate headquarters here.

"I think that Charlie had in mind establishing very deep roots in Colorado and to make this the permanent home of First Data," Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., said Monday. "However, I think whenever you have a change in a CEO, typically the new one has some say where the company's headquarters is located. That possibility does cause concern to all of us."

Even if the new CEO decided to move, it's unlikely the company would look to displace the 3,000 people who work here, he said. In addition to its Greenwood Village headquarters, First Data has a large office campus in the Meridian International Business Center in Douglas County. When it announced plans for the campus, the company said it eventually would have a million square feet.

John Lay, president and CEO of the Southeast Business Partnership, also said he expects First Data to keep its headquarters in Colorado.

"I certainly anticipate that they will," Lay said. "I have heard nothing that would cause me to think otherwise."

Both Clark and Lay said Fote has been an ideal business and civic leader.

"He was always plain spoken," Clark said. "He was not only Colorado's and metro Denver's biggest fan, but also its most vocal critic."

When Fote thought the state and the metro area weren't doing enough for education and transportation, for example, he didn't mince words, Clark said.

"When he spoke about things, his motives were pure," Clark said. "You know he was always concerned for the good of the state. That's what makes his departure a really sad day."

Lay said he considers Fote a "pillar of the community," noting he worked extremely hard to pass the FasTracks transportation initiative. Fote also had been honored by the local Hispanic community, although his views have put Fote at odds with Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who has made immigration matters a top issue. Last year, Tancredo proposed a tax on billions of dollars that are sent to Mexico and other countries by companies such Western Union, a subsidiary of First Data. Tancredo didn't return a call Monday.

Clark said during the tech crash in the early 2000s, First Data was practically the only company bringing high-paying jobs to the Denver area. He estimated that Fote created about 1,000 jobs during that period, primarily by acquiring companies.

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