DECADES OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.

• Author: Taylor, Mike
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTE

Some traditionalists in academia expressed skepticism when the University of Colorado named businessman and high-profile conservative Bruce Benson the school's president in 2007. And yet, this March marked Benson's 10th year at the helm at CU, making him the school's longest-serving president in the past 65 years.

Beginning his tenure as Colorado and the nation were headed into recession, Benson figured to bring a business approach to the challenges CU faced, but the former oilman and Republican gubernatorial candidate has brought more than business acumen to the job. Writer Stewart Schley spent part of a day shadowing Benson and noted the president's practice of keeping a yellow legal pad and scratching off "to-dos" as they're completed. Schley came away with a profile for this issue that captures Benson's appetite for work and problem-solving that dates back to his childhood on an Illinois farm, his experience as an oilman, investor, political influencer and champion of higher education. Benson turns 80 this month and shows no signs of slowing down. Besides, Schley writes, no one seems in a hurry to see him go.

This also marks the 10th year of the Colorado Companies to Watch program and our role as...