Powerful people abound, but here's our 25.

• Author: Taylor, Michad W.
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTE

When we set out to identify and profile Colorado's 25 Most Powerful People for this issue, the ColoradoBiz editorial staff did so knowing we'd only be scratching the surface of notable influencers in the state. Also, that power is relative. Towns and counties across Colorado are dotted with civic leaders, office holders and stakeholders who wield significant power to impact lives and shape their surroundings by exerting influence on issues ranging from water conservation to land use to zoning laws to downtown revitalization.

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Power also requires action, not merely resources (such as money) or status. Auden Schendler, vice president of sustainability for Aspen Snowmass and one of this year's anointed Most Powerful, touched on those points when he said, "I'm amazed at people's reluctance to wield their own power. We all have it, whether we're a schoolteacher, a CEO or a governor, but few use it."

Perhaps, then, our 25 Most Powerful profiles are best viewed as a jumping-off point for further reflection--about how these figures have parlayed their resources into betterment (for the most part) of others, what power means to each of us and how we might be underestimating our own.

This issue also features our Entrepreneur of 2017...