Dennis Polhill
Dennis Polhill is a Senior Fellow in Public Infrastructure at the Independence Institute, Colorado’s public policy think tank, and a long-time citizen activist. He writes extensively on infrastructure and transportation issues, as well as on economics, role-of-government, and democracy.
As the head of the Colorado Term Limits Coalition in the 1990s, Dennis successfully mounted petition drives that amended the state constitution and limited the terms of Colorado congressmen. Dennis also was involved in the push for a Colorado petition rights amendment, and in 1998, he helped found the Initiative and Referendum Institute, serving as its first Board Chairman.
Dennis’s public service includes an appointment to the Governor’s Statehouse Conference on Small Business, and he helped to form the Colorado Coalition for Fair Competition. Active in over a dozen professional and civic organizations, including the American Public Works Association and American Society of Civil Engineers, Dennis also was an active member of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors.
An engineer by trade, Dennis is a nationally recognized expert in pavement management, and his consulting firm, Pavement Management Systems, Inc., was instrumental in establishing and heightening awareness of the field. His surveying expertise was requested by the U.S. State Department to assist with farm privatization efforts abroad.
Originally from Freeport, Illinois, Dennis holds dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and engineering from the University of Illinois. A U.S. Department of Transportation graduate fellow, he earned dual masters degrees in Transportation Engineering (MSCE) and Public Works Management (MPA).
Dennis and his wife Debby are 32 year residents of Colorado, and have 4 children and 9 grandchildren.