Tonette Salazar

Senior Advisor; President, Salazar & Associates

As President of Salazar & Associates - and previously Senior VP of Government Relations at Strategies 360 in the Colorado office - Tonette Salazar brings more than twenty years of expertise to CEEMI. She serves as a strategic thinking partner and advocate, helping CEEMI navigate complex policy issues in the state.

Tonette has a strong history of success in the Colorado legislature and political arena. As an experienced lobbyist she has advocated for an array of education clients including school districts, community colleges, school counselors and career and technical education organizations. She has also worked extensively on homeowner association issues, labor and employment issues, and workforce issues. Tonette tackles complex challenges with strategic thinking, thorough policy analysis and powerful coalition building.

Tonette began her policy-focused career as staff for Legislative Legal Services, the non-partisan office staffing the Colorado General Assembly. She credits her strategic approach to her experience working for former Speaker of the House, Ruben Valdez, a pioneer in education and community issues. Tonette led the lobbying effort to help secure passage of in-state tuition and financial aid for undocumented students, negotiated a compromise on construction defects, and led the creation of a new special education funding formula for public education.

A native of Las Cruces, NM, Tonette holds a BA from University of Denver and a JD from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She also volunteers her time working with the next generation of Latinx leaders through the Latino Leadership Institute and serves on the Mile High United Way Board of Trustees. She lives in Denver, with her husband and three children. As a former competitive gymnast and judge, Tonette now spends her time supporting her children’s endeavors in dance, baseball and taekwondo.