Commissioner, District 5
Jim Bensberg
Born and raised in El Paso County, Jim Bensberg is a third generation Colorado native. The fourth child of Richard and Charlotte Bensberg, he grew up in Cheyenne Cañon, attended Cheyenne Mountain schools and was graduated from Fountain Valley School in 1973. After receiving a degree in photography from Colorado Mountain College, Bensberg worked for Kaman Sciences (now ITT) as a commercial photographer. His photos and articles have appeared in national and local publications. A subsequent degree in Technical Journalism from Colorado State University landed Jim a job at the State Capitol working for Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade organization representing the ski industry.
A love of motorsports brought Bensberg and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) together where he lobbied for consumer interests at both the state and local levels of government. He was the first Washington, DC representative for AMA and was responsible for the passage of significant transportation-related legislation in Congress.
Upon returning to his home state in 1995, Bensberg worked as the Director of Operations at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a post he left in 1997 to join the staff of U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard. He served as Allard's Area Director for an eight-county region until he was elected El Paso County Commissioner and was sworn into office Jan. 14, 2003.
Active in the community, Bensberg has served on various boards and commissions including the county Highway Advisory Commission and Sunny Vista Healthcare Facility. He was also appointed by the National Association of Counties to serve on the Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs committee. He also serves as the Chairman of Colorado Counties' General Government steering committee.
In 2005 and again in 2009, Bensberg was selected by his peers to serve as Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. A reform-oriented elected official, Bensberg led the effort to revise the county's archaic Use Tax collection procedure at the Regional Building Department where he serves as a commissioner. He also led the charge to bring a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement office to El Paso County.
Jim enjoys part-time radio broadcasting duty with KRDO's “Sports Radio” AM 1240 during the annual coverage of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. As a volunteer, he supports the efforts of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the Children's Literacy Center and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Bensberg also serves on the Colorado State Trails OHV subcommittee and the state Geological Mapping Advisory Committee, and is a founding member of the Colorado Legends and Legacies Youth Corps.
Commissioner Bensberg can be reached at:
27 E. Vermijo Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2208
Phone: (719) 520-6415
Fax: (719) 520-6397
Email: jimbensberg@elpasoco.com