Bill Vidal: Hispanic Chamber of Commerce chief promises the Denver group will be more vocal on public issues.

• Author: Cote, Mike
• Position: EXECUTIVE edge

FOR GUILLERMO "BILL" VIDAL, TALKING about contentious topics like immigration and high school dropout rates arc more than civic exercises. The Cuban native knows firsthand what challenges new arrivals to this country face.

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As the former mayor of Denver adjusts to his new job as the president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver, one thing is certain to him: The business group needs to take a stand when it mailers.

"What I see is great potential for this organization when you view the growing demographics of Hispanics not only in our metro region but in the state and also in the nation," said Vidal, 60, during an interview taped for ColoradoBiz TV.

The University of Colorado alumnus, who graduated with a civil engineering degree, came to the chamber in January after a long career in public service. He served as chief of the Colorado Department of Transportation under Gov. Roy Romer and as deputy mayor and manager of public works for the city and county of Denver under John Hickenlooper.

Vidal was appointed mayor in January 2011 after Hickenlooper was sworn in as governor. The city's first foreign-born mayor briefly considered but ultimately decided not to run for the post when an election was held the following May.

Vidal said he's happy he spent his seven months as mayor tackling important projects rather than running for office.

"What I got out of it instead was an incred-ible experience doing things that were necessary," he said.

In his new role, Vidal expects to draw from his heritage to find a way to reach the diverse elements of the Hispanic: community, which is composed of people from different countries, cultures and languages.

"I speak Spanish fluently, something that I will use certainly in trying to attract Spanish-speaking businesses," he said. "There is this demographic dilemma in that we have Spanish-speaking people; we have other His-panics who don't speak Spanish at all. But yet we're all together, and bringing some unity to that is important."

That means Hispanics are not a...