Editor's note.

• Author: Taylor, Mike

Team's impact carries CEO selection

You probably didn't need words to help you discern that the man on the cover clad in a blue blazer, orange tie and cradling an NFL football plays an important role with the reigning Super Bowl champions. Joe Ellis, the Denver Broncos' president and CEO, is our 2016 CEO of the Year, and it wasn't a difficult selection, once our editorial board whittled the field of finalists down to 25 and re-applied the criteria to each. The CEO of the Year award, now in its 12th year, is based on organizational achievement, obstacles surmounted and community impact, in no particular order. It would be hard to come up with a more visible organizational success than the Broncos in 2015-2016. The criterion "community impact" is often taken to mean volunteerism or participation in nonprofits, as it should be. But while the Broncos and their players donate ample time and money to a variety of causes, their more obvious impact on the community is unlike any other organization in the state: They're a source of civic pride and identity, as evidenced by the estimated 1 million people who gathered for the Super Bowl victory parade in downtown Denver; they provide a reason--an excuse, even--for friends and family to gather; and their on-field fortunes impact moods on Monday mornings in...