Rhonda Fields

Rhonda Fields
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 42nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2011
Preceded by	Karen Middleton
Personal details
Born	Rhonda Marshall Fields
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Aurora, CO
Alma mater	University of Northern Colorado
Religion	Christian
Website	www.rhondafields.com

Rhonda Fields is a Democratic member of the Colorado State House of Representatives from Aurora, Colorado. She is the first African American woman elected in State House District 42.

Biography

Rhonda Fields is a current Colorado State Representative, serving the 42nd District in Aurora, CO. She has been elected twice. Fields entered politics after her work as a victims rights advocate in the wake of the murders of her son, Javad Fields, and his fiancée, Vivian Wolfe.

The two Colorado State University graduates were murdered on June 20, 2005, less than a week before Javad Fields planned to testify as a key witness in the murder of his best friend. In 2007 Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Rhonda Fields to the Colorado Commission on Criminal Juvenile Justice, where she worked on public safety and criminal justice issues. Fields also testified before the Colorado legislature on two successful bills, one strengthening the state’s Witness Protection Programs, as well as the Javad Marshall Fields & Vivian Wolfe Witness Protection Act that is designed to develop better risk-assessment tools to elevate the safety and security of witnesses in criminal trials.^[1]

Fields serves on numerous boards, including the Safe 2 Tell Advisory Board and Voices of Victims. Her professional affiliations include Women in Government, the National Federation of Women Legislators, the Colorado Black Caucus, the National Council of Negro Women, the Urban League of Denver, the NAACP, Black Women for Political Action and Alpha Kappa Alpha, a sorority of African-American college-educated women.

In 2011, 5280 Magazine ranked Fields 37th on its list of the 50 “most powerful” people in the Denver Metro area, saying she has “gained the type of respect that politicians dream about.” She also received the 2011 “Rising Star Award” of the Colorado Democratic Party, the 2011 Leadership for Healthy Communities Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Wilma Webb 2011 Co-Legislator of the Year presented by African American Voices, the 2011 Black Women for Political Action Award, the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award and the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce President’s Courage Award.^[2]

Fields is the founder of the Fields Wolfe Memorial Fund, a nonprofit, started in memory of her son Javad Fields and his fiancée, Vivian Wolfe. She has one adult daughter and two grandchildren. She has worked for over 25 years at United Airlines. Fields holds a Masters Degree from the University of Northern Colorado.^[1]

Political Campaigns

Rhonda Fields has twice won election to the Colorado State House.

2010 Election

In 2010, State Rep. Karen Middleton withdrew from her re-election campaign in order to accept an out-of-state position. A Democratic vacancy committee then met to select a replacement candidate to appear on the November 2010 General Election ballot. Rhonda Fields was one of three candidates. She entered with the support of then-State House Speaker Terrance Carroll, incumbent Karen Middleton and she was nominated by the committee on the first ballot.^[1] She went on to win the District 42 seat, defeating Republican Sally Mounier.

2012 Re-election

In 2012, Fields was re-elected.

Legislative Career

Fields successfully sponsored nine bills and two joint resolutions in her first legislative session. To combat childhood obesity, she sponsored legislation to require 30 minutes of physical activity a day in our schools. She also led legislation to authorize the Public Utilities Commission to create a tiered electricity rate for customers with medical conditions.^[2]

Committee Assignments

Fields is currently assigned to the following committees:^[3]

• Local Government -- Chair
• Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force -- Vice-Chair
• Education
• Health, Insurance & Environment

References

External links

• www.rhondafields.com
• www.fieldswolfememorialfund.org
• CO General Assembly: State Rep. Rhonda Fields