Patty Fontneau is the executive director and CEO of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, a nonprofit organization established in 2011 by Senate Bill 11-200 to create a new health insurance marketplace for individuals and small businesses with the intent to increase access, affordability and choice. The exchange is scheduled to open for business in October 2013. Previously, Ms. Fontneau was the chief operating officer for Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, managing the business and financial operations of the firm across a platform of seven domestic offices. Prior to HRO, Ms. Fontneau was the chief administrative officer for the IMA Financial Group, Inc. and VP and general manager of the Western Service Center of TIAA-CREF.

Ms. Fontneau serves as chair of the Auraria Foundation and contributes on the boards of CollegeInvest and the Downtown Denver Partnership. She is a member of the Leadership Circle of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation and also participates in the Women’s Forum. Ms. Fontneau is a past chair of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, the Downtown Denver Partnership, Qualistar Early Learning, and SafeHouse Denver. She participated on former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s transition team for higher education, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper’s transition team for higher education, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s transition team for peak performance and the Colorado Forum.  She has also served on the boards of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Mile High United Way, chaired the Denver Metro Chamber’s Public Affair’s Council, and is an alumna of the Leadership Denver Class of 2001. In recognition of her community service, Ms. Fontneau was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Women in Business Award from the Denver Business Journal and the Leadership Award from the Alumni Association of the University of Colorado at Denver business school. She was awarded the 2003 Athena award from the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, is a Girl Scout Woman of Distinction, and received the 2002 Women’s Vision Foundation Corporate Advocacy Award for TIAA-CREF.