Remembering Steve Sander, Marketing Mensch, on His Seventieth Birthday

Today, November 3, would have been Steve Sander's seventieth birthday.

Sander did not like to hug, but that didn't matter. When you saw him — whether it was just for a minute at a civic event or over a long dinner — you felt enveloped. He cared about everything around him. He cared about making everything around him better.

He died early on October 16 by suicide. He was found on the Wellshire Golf Course; he left instructions and notes at his office. Six days later, close to a thousand friends and fans of Sander's met at the Greek Amphitheatre at Civic Center Park to honor him and share stories. Many rode their bicycles to the park, in honor of the man who started Denver's B-cycle program.

But the tributes to Sander did not end there. He has been remembered with photos on the big screen at Ball Arena, Empower Field and the D&F clocktower. More of those photos will be on digital billboards today, which has been proclaimed Steve Sander Legacy Day of Giving: One of his last wishes was for his friends to donate to a charity of their choice on his birthday.
Sander, as he was known to just about everyone he met, was a marketing maven and a pillar in the Denver business community who served on countless civic boards; I met him when we were both on the board of the Denver Film Festival more than three decades ago. He was the city's first strategic marketing director, appointed to that post in 2007 by then-Mayor John Hickenlooper. By then, Sander already had more than thirty years of experience working on a variety of economic development, advertising and business initiatives. After he left his full-time job with the city in 2012, he continued to push assorted projects to boost Denver. A bicycle advocate, he was a true wheeler-dealer.

"There is simply no one who hasn't been touched by Steve's generosity, spirit and friendship," says Kathy Hagan, co-president of Karsh Hagan Advertising and a longtime friend and business associate.

I can't recall what he used before Budweiser made the word famous, but when you saw him, Sander would always ask "Whasssup?" And he truly wanted to know. I'd last encountered him leaving the Downtown Denver Partnership annual meeting on September 27; we shared notes on ways to help bring back downtown. He was full of them. But sadly, we cannot bring back Sander.

While suicide is often not listed as a cause of death in an obituary, family members made the decision to share his cause of death in hopes that "this tragic loss serves as a stark reminder of the importance of addressing mental health issues and providing support to those in need. We encourage community members to reach out to their friends, family, and neighbors and offer a listening ear, helping hand, and compassionate heart to those who may be struggling."

Sander, a peerless communicator who cared about everyone and everything, is still delivering a message.

See photos from the memorial below.
Keep reading for more stories and memories of Sander; a memorial page has also been set up here.

Recalls Ann Ceccine-Williams, deputy executive director of the Department of Public Health & Environment:

Besides being a brilliant marketer, Steve was just an all-around kind and generous soul. I would tell Steve all about my son’s adventures in high school, and when he finally graduated, I held a big party and invited Steve to come by for a drink. It was a casual but large celebration and Steve swung by…I thought he was just going to say congratulations, etc. but he actually brought a card with a $100 bill in it. It was unexpected – he certainly didn’t have to do that. But he did, and that was who he was. A huge advocate for young people trying to find their way, he helped countless college grads network with us PR and marketing types to make connections and start out in an industry that can be tough to break into without support.

Professionally, what I remember most from my time working with Steve at the City of Denver was following the blizzards of 2006-07. I was with Public Works and we were trying to find ways to communicate with the general public about our process and priorities around snow removal, and we were looking for innovative non-traditional ways to reach people. Steve brought me to a meeting of some McDonald’s franchise owners and we soon had counter cards about snow removal in English and Spanish in Denver area McDonald’s…complete with a coupon for a free McCafé for taking the card! Steve was just the best.

Recalls Wendy Aiello, longtime friend:

I met Steve through my dearest friend, Jackie Brown Griggs, and her then-boyfriend Tim Griggs. Steve had four floor-seat tickets for a Denver Nuggets game. Impressive! We sat down and he went to say hello to friends. I didn’t see him again until the fourth quarter. He knew everyone and everyone wanted to say hello to him. He was the kind of person everyone wanted to see.

Recalls Jenny Schiavone, chief digital officer for the City and County of Denver:

Someone on social media referred to people-pleaser Sander as a “golden retriever” and, like the most special golden retrievers, he had an affinity for cats. Sander and I bonded for life over our love for the kitties, sharing regular Caturday pics and stories of feline antics (ours, Instagram’s, and the ones that made prime time national news), hugging each other tightly when our fur babies inevitably “went to college,” and celebrating each other's life choices when new kittens came home to roost, bringing a new season of unconditional affection and true love.

Recalls Maggie Thompson, Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure, BikeDenver, Bicycle Colorado:

After introducing me to the world of big-event planning in Denver via his help to make the first Viva Streets events happen, Steve went to bat for me when I needed a job. He activated his networks and the next thing I knew I was working on the Biennial of the Americas. I will never forget standing on the back patio of McNichols during an amazing interactive art and dance show and running into Steve, who was hanging out with John Hickenlooper, the governor at the time. John looked at me and said, "I hear you worked really hard to make this happen," got down on one knee and kissed my hand. Steve never stopped hyping up Denver or hyping up the people he cared about, and there were so many people.

Just a couple months back Steve and I finally got together to have a coffee. We brainstormed crazy ideas and laughed and shared memories. His gravelly voice and pure energy will be with me forever. We shared quick hellos during the new iteration of Viva Streets, and I'm so happy he was able to meet my son. Denver would not be what it is today without Steve. Neither would I.

Recalls Brian Gansmann, founder of Gate2Plate:

When I finally made the decision to leave the Chicago advertising scene, I was connected with Steve before my move to Denver. As we were networking, he said "We are in the final pitch for Swift & Company. Do you know anything about meat?"

He nearly fell off of his chair when I said "I was on the team that came up with Pork, The Other White Meat." Needless to say, we were on our game during our first collaboration.

I'll miss Steve.
Recalls Alby Segall, executive director of the Denver Press Club:

Sander was one of a kind.

He would disappear without warning, leaving me not knowing where he was going or when he would return. I count dozens of those stories on our trips to Jazz Fest, New York City, Vail and other travels with Sander.

Whenever I needed someone’s contact information, I went to Sander. Whenever I needed some inside information, I went to Sander. And whenever I was looking for direction myself, I went to Sander. I never could comprehend how he knew so much.

I sometimes ask who were the “characters” in Denver. People who stood out, experienced our city deeply and were not shy about expressing their opinions. Sander was among the best of those characters.

And he could take a joke. I wouldn’t let him forget that he claimed the Elvis movie “changed the world.” That he managed to hang on to jobs, sports teams and more friends than possible amazed me (and most of us). We never let him forget the intense argument he had with a bunch of us at Little Ollie's watching some sporting event about the difference between a spring roll and an egg roll. He engaged everyone in the place to take a stand.

All of us will miss him.

Recalls Doug Backman of DB Marketing:

I started my marketing agency over a decade and a half ago when Steve was working for then-Mayor Hickenlooper. I reached out to him out of the blue about getting together for a cup of coffee to talk marketing. I couldn’t believe that the marketing director for the City of Denver actually agreed and took the time to meet with me. Denver is a tough town to start and maintain a successful marketing firm with smaller average advertising revenues. The fact that Steve Sander took that time to talk with me and share his experiences meant a lot. I remember how passionately he thought about different ideas and ways to help. I’m sure his clients would say the same for what he brought to their businesses.