DENVER  – A $1 million gift from EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. was announced last night at the “Make Your Mark” event for the Business School at the University of Colorado Denver. The event, attended by local business leaders and entrepreneurs, offered a sneak peek at the school’s new building located in the heart of downtown Denver. EnCana, a Canadian corporation with its U.S. headquarters in Denver, is the largest producer of natural gas in North America.

The company’s $1 million gift is a lead gift toward the initial renovations of the new Business School building at 1475 Lawrence St. in downtown Denver, and the school plans to honor EnCana’s generosity through the naming of the Global Energy Management suite where the GEM program will be located in the new facility. The gift was facilitated by the University of Colorado Foundation.

“This gift allows the GEM program to have a permanent home in the new Business School building,” said Sueann Ambron, dean of the Business School at UC Denver. “With this building, we have the opportunity to bring all of the Business School’s programs, students, faculty and staff under one roof. As well, the location of the building will promote the school’s position as a source of business talent, innovation and collaboration for businesses throughout the region, helping to grow local businesses and thus, create jobs. EnCana’s partnership with the school and the GEM program is an example of the collaborations that support business growth in Colorado.”

“The Global Energy Management program has already demonstrated its value to EnCana and the needs of its workforce. But, more importantly, having this program in our community has broad implications for Denver as a center for energy education, policy and research. The Global Energy Management program will help attract and retain business and employees in the energy sector for years to come,” stated Don McClure, vice president of Government, Stakeholder Relations and Legal for EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. “This gift benefits the community as a whole in advancing Denver’s role in higher education focused on energy.”

EnCana’s gift also includes sponsorship and development of an
“Annual Energy Forum” at the Business School. The eventwill
bring in speakers and special guests to address pressing issues
in the energy industry to encourage collaboration and dialogue
among industry, the university, elected officials and
special-interest groups.

“The Rocky Mountain region is a key hub of energy activity in
the nation,” said John Turner, director of the GEM program at
UC Denver’s Business School. “EnCana was one of the first
businesses to partner with the Business School to develop
specialized courses to fill a need, and then later partnered to
create an innovative master’s program to develop
entrepreneurial leaders for energy companies as current
executives look to retire in the next five years.”