Jenn Kaaoush for Boulder County Treasurer

Experienced. Trusted. Focused on you. 

Hey there, 

I'm Jenn Kaaoush and I'm running for Boulder County Treasurer. 

Welcome to my site! Great to meet you.

If this is your first stop in, you're probably filling out your ballot. 

On behalf of everyone running for office, thank you for taking the time to do this.

If you have absolutely zero interest in reading all the text below, here's an interview that should help inform. :)

If you're a reader...let's get to it. 

Before you fill in the Treasurer line on your ballot, here's what I think you should know about what the job actually requires.

This role isn't ceremonial or political.

It's protecting public funds, managing complex financial systems, and ensuring residents can navigate some of the most difficult financial moments of their lives. And yet, because the Treasurer's race rarely gets the same attention as a Senate seat or a Governor's race, many voters fill in that line without much information to go on.

I think that's worth changing.

1. Do they have real financial management experience?

The Boulder County Treasurer is responsible for safeguarding and investing hundreds of millions of public dollars, and for distributing those funds accurately to schools, fire districts, municipalities, and other public entities. The margin for error is low, and the consequences of getting it wrong fall on real people and real institutions.

Look for a candidate who has actually managed budgets, invested funds, and built financial systems, not just advised on them or reviewed them from the outside. Ask whether their experience is at the scale this office demands.

My background:

I've spent my career managing budgets, operations, revenue, and financial systems at a significant scale. As a department head representing the United States overseas, I managed multi-million-dollar operations, doubled revenue, and built investment reserves designed to ensure long-term financial sustainability for the programs under my leadership.

2. Can they lead an organization, not just a spreadsheet?

The Treasurer's Office is staffed by experienced public servants who handle critical county functions every day. The person you elect needs to be able to lead that team, maintain institutional knowledge, navigate operational complexity, and make sound decisions under pressure.

Look for a candidate who has actually run something. Led people through difficult circumstances. Made hard calls when the stakes were real.

My background:

I've led organizations and departments in both the public and private sectors. I managed operations in conflict zones as a U.S. diplomat. I've launched a non-profit to respond directly to residents navigating the Marshall Fire. I've served on the Superior Town Council and its Finance Committee. From the military to the State Department to community organizing to local government, my career has been built around leading complex organizations through challenging circumstances.

3. Do they understand property and lending, not just in theory?

The Treasurer also serves as Boulder County's Public Trustee. That means overseeing foreclosure processes and being the office residents turn to when they're facing financial hardship around their homes. This is one of the most human-facing parts of the job, and it requires someone who understands how lending, property taxes, delinquency, and foreclosure actually work for real families, not just how they appear in a policy manual.

Look for a candidate who has worked in real estate, mortgage, or property management. Ask whether they've sat across the table from someone trying to understand their options, or whether their experience is purely administrative. Foreclosures are rising and this will be a big part of the work. 

My background:

I have more than 20 years of experience in real estate, mortgage, and property management. I understand this process from the practical side, including what it feels like to help someone work through it. 

4. Do they see the office as a resource, not just a function?

The Treasurer's Office has access to data, relationships, and resources that most residents never see. A strong Treasurer can use those assets proactively, to reach people before they reach a crisis, not just to process paperwork after one has already arrived.

Look for a candidate with a track record of community-facing work, and a specific vision for how the office can do more than its minimum statutory requirements.

My background:

After the Marshall Fire devastated our community, I co-founded Superior Rising and spent years helping families navigate complicated financial recovery systems. I actually go to other fire communities like Maui and Los Angeles to advise their governments and residents on financial best practices for recovery. That experience shaped how I think about the government. The Treasurer's Office can expand financial literacy programs, increase foreclosure prevention outreach, improve property tax education, and build partnerships that help keep people housed. I want to bring that same proactive approach to Boulder County.

A note on why I wrote this

I wrote this page because I believe voters deserve more than a name when they're choosing who manages their county's finances. Whatever you decide, I hope you'll ask hard questions of every candidate, including me.

If you want to dig deeper into my background, my platform, or my specific proposals for this office, you should be able to find all of that info here. 

If you don't, let me know. New lenses are the best to highlight where leaders have gotten too rooted in their own responses.  jennfortreasurer@gmail.com

I'd be honored to earn your vote.

Take care, 

Jenn