Kelly Denzler

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Kelly Denzler

Nonpartisan

Douglas County School District Board of Directors District G

Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

0

Predecessor

Kaylee Winegar

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Regis University, 2011

Graduate

Regis University, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Denver, Colo.

Profession

Marketing

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Kelly Denzler is a member of the Douglas County School District Board of Directors in Colorado, representing District G. She assumed office on December 2, 2025. Her current term ends in 2029.

Denzler ran for election to the Douglas County School District Board of Directors to represent District G in Colorado. She won in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Denzler completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kelly Denzler was born in Denver, Colorado. Denzler's career experience includes working in marketing. She previously worked as a high school teacher, administrator, and adjunct professor. Denzler earned a bachelor's degree from Regis University in 2011, a graduate degree from Columbia University in 2012, and a graduate degree from Regis University in 2019.

Elections

2025

See also: Douglas County School District, Colorado, elections (2025)

General election

General election for Douglas County School District Board of Directors District G

Kelly Denzler defeated Steve Vail in the general election for Douglas County School District Board of Directors District G on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Denzler (Nonpartisan)	53.4	63,542
		Steve Vail (Nonpartisan)	46.6	55,422

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 118,964
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Denzler in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kelly Denzler completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Denzler's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I started teaching when I was 22 years old and only left the classroom two years ago when I got the opportunity to work for a curriculum company. I taught high school French and Social Studies for nine years (including at the AP level) and served as a high school Dean of Students for one. I hold a professional teaching license from the Colorado Department of Education and am certified to teach in six different content areas. In 2019, I earned a Master of Education in Education Leadership and my principal's license. I've also worked as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Denver and Metropolitan State University of Denver. I've twice served as a mentor teacher for alternative licensure candidates and recently won an award for authoring a guide to trauma-informed instruction.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As a former teacher, educator recruitment and retention are central to my vision for the Douglas County School District. While our retention numbers have certainly improved over the past few years, we are still not as competitive as neighboring districts, and there are many highly-qualified teachers who live in Douglas County and who can't afford to work here.
• I am increasingly concerned for our most vulnerable student populations. As of January 20, our district was under six different Office of Civil Rights investigations—all of which have seemingly evaporated into thin air. The incidents under investigation, however, had real impacts on real individuals, and it is now up to us to hold ourselves and our district accountable. We have higher rates of bullying than surrounding districts, and I'm concerned that many of our students report not feeling like they truly belong at school. There is a lot of work to do to ensure access to not only quality education, but to the full range of academic experiences while feeling safe and seen.
• I am very interested in how Artificial Intelligence will impact education moving forward. Our district has piloted using Khanmigo, and while this is an encouraging first step, I want to make sure our teachers have quality professional development so they can feel confident in teaching students to ethically leverage AI while maintaining critical thinking skills.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about funding, implementing evidence-based practices, and ensuring equitable access to education.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think that honesty is one of the most important characteristics of an elected official. I think that honesty with the electorate is the highest form of respect for the electorate; Douglas County voters don't want pandering, they want the truth.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I think a core responsibility of this role is understanding that there's a lot of distance between what a school board director may WANT to do and what they actually CAN do. Curiosity and humility are central to effective leadership in any role, and this one is no different.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The great education pioneer Horace Mann once said, "Be ashamed to die until you've scored some great victory for humanity." I choose to interpret "victory for humanity" pretty broadly, but I hope I leave a legacy of choosing the right thing over the easy thing.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was a third-grade student in Jefferson County public schools on the day of the school shooting at Columbine.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was actually at Colorado Mills mall, where I worked at Build-A-Bear as a teenager to save up for my high school trip to France! I ended up teaching French for a decade, so it was worth the investment.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I will forever love Janine di Giovanni's memoir of being a war correspondent, "Ghosts By Daylight."

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

To nudge the district in a positive direction after considering the input of key stakeholders. To place students at the center of all decision-making and to be willing to take it on the chin if there's blowback for tough decisions.

Who are your constituents?

All Douglas County students, educators, and families. While I would be representing District G, the entire district would be my constituents.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

I learned early in my career that in education (as in everything), there are needs and then there are wants. The trick is balancing those needs and wants—whether they be legal obligations, moral obligations, community priorities, ideals, etc—with the reality of a broken school funding system. To do this effectively, education leaders must be good communicators and even better listeners. If I'm going to vote against funding a "want" that feels like a "need," I need to have a good reason that I can effectively communicate to our community.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Denver Area Labor Federation, Douglas County Federation, Douglas County Parents, Everytown for Gun Safety

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

As a former teacher, hearing how demoralizing it was to teach in Douglas County from 2009-2017 has really impacted me. I've met so many teachers while campaigning—some who left, some who stayed—who feel like they were hung out to dry by politicians looking to score points. It's really sad and very frustrating. While things have turned around a bit, there's still a lot of progress to make.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

I was really proud to be chosen as a Fellow at the Center for Colorado Women's History in 2018. I was also really proud to finish my second graduate degree (my Master of Education in Education Leadership) just a few months shy of my son's due date in 2019!

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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