[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        KENT A. ``BO'' COTTRELL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 3, 2001

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, today I want to tell you about a great 
American who resides in Colorado's 6th Congressional District. Mr. Kent 
A. ``Bo'' Cottrell has one of the most diverse and unique histories of 
any individual that I can think of. He has been, and still is, a fine 
musician, he has been a police officer, a fund raiser for charities, he 
has run for elected office and has been elected for multiple terms as 
the chairman of the Arapahoe County Grand Old Party. Bo has worked for 
the governor of our great State in a wide variety of positions and 
ultimately came to rest as part of a unique business venture.
  He attended Indiana State University and was promptly drafted to 
serve his country in 1963 where he served in Europe with the Military 
Police for two years. Bo went on to serve in the Jefferson County 
sheriffs office as an investigator in the late 1960s and worked in law 
enforcement for six years. During that time, he formed and wrote for a 
musical group known then and now as ``The Lawmen,'' made up of law 
officers. They toured and even has a hit single called ``Darn Good 
Country'' in the DC area which was so popular that the group went to 
the White House for a visit with President Nixon.
  In 1970, a leading local paper in Jefferson County named Bo Cottrell 
as their pick for the ``Man of the Year.'' His connections in the 
entertainment industry were leveraged to help Easter Seals in their 
battle to raise funding and awareness of childrens' health issues and 
eventually vaulted him to the Board of Directors for the Make A Wish 
Foundation where he served as its special events director. He worked 
together with prominent members of the business and entertainment 
community to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. He 
formed Kops and Kids, the Easter Seals Golf Tournament, the Make A Wish 
Golf Tournament and always strives to better the communities around 
him.
  Due to all of his charitable efforts, in 1990, Bo was presented the 
``Point of Light'' Award by President Bush, Sr., in a White House 
presentation. In 1996 he was a candidate to the Colorado State House in 
Arapahoe County and, although he did not prevail, he was soon elected 
to the position of Chairman to the Arapahoe County Grand Old Party from 
1997 until 2001.
  Another one of my consitutents, Colorado Governor Bill Owens, 
selected Bo to become a representative on the Parole Board where he 
presided as Chairman. Bo was soon asked to work with the Colorado 
Office of Economic Development. In a true expression of his belief in 
the free-market, Bo gathered his experience dealing with people, both 
parolees and members of the business community, and began a new and 
unique business venture. He is now the marketing director of Pure 
Colorado, a company that bottles our wonderful, and very clean, Rocky 
Mountain Spring water, and packages it in a unique and innovative way 
for distribution nationwide.
  Bo Cottrell's travels from Military Police officer, to musician, to 
Marketing Director are diverse and amazing examples in pursuit of the 
American Dream. He was a compassionate conservative before anyone had 
even heard of such a thing, he is a great individual and I consider him 
a good friend.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join the Arapahoe County GOP in 
extending my appreciation to the kindness and good deeds of Mr. Bo 
Cottrell.

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