Rep. Naquetta Ricks

Representative Naquetta Ricks is proud to represent Colorado’s House District 40 in her third term as a state legislator. As the first African and first Black immigrant elected to the Colorado General Assembly, as well as the first Liberian-American woman to serve in any U.S. state legislature, she brings a historic and powerful perspective to the State Capitol. In recognition of her prominent leadership and heritage, she will serve as the Keynote Speaker at the Liberians in Houston Ball celebrating Liberia's 179th Independence Day in Houston on July 25, 2025. After fleeing civil war in Liberia at age 13, her family built a new life in Colorado. An Aurora resident for over thirty years, she grew up in the city alongside her mother and sister and is a proud graduate of Aurora Central High School. Driven by a lifelong commitment to education, opportunity, and equity, Rep. Ricks, who is also a proud mother, has become a respected leader in both business and government.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado Denver. A successful small business owner since 2004, Rep. Ricks is also the President, Co-founder, and CEO of the African Chamber of Commerce Colorado. In this role, she supports immigrant and minority-owned businesses across the state through advocacy, training, and economic development initiatives.

Deeply involved in local and grassroots politics, she currently serves as a Precinct Committee Person (PCP) for HD40 and has previously served as the 2nd Vice Chair for both HD40 and CD-6, as well as Treasurer for the African American Initiative of the Colorado Democrats. Since taking office in 2020, Rep. Ricks has passed landmark legislation to expand immigrant rights, protect consumers, reform housing policy, and strengthen economic opportunity. Her legislative wins include the Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, the Towing Bill of Rights, HOA foreclosure reforms, and the Colorado Racial Equity Study. She currently chairs the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and serves on the State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. Her policy priorities include expanding access to affordable housing, protecting tenants, strengthening workforce development, and ensuring an equitable future for all. Additionally, she represents Colorado at national and international conferences, actively working to strengthen connections across the African Diaspora.

A graduate of both Leadership Denver and Leadership Aurora, Rep. Ricks is dedicated to continuous professional development, further highlighted by her 2023 selection to attend the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. Her robust community involvement includes her past role as Vice Chair of the Aurora Public School Education Foundation. Representative Ricks' public service and leadership have been widely recognized; she has received accolades from Habitat for Humanity, the African Diaspora Network, the Immigrant List, the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Black Round Table, and the National Council of Negro Women. She is also the recipient of the "Salute" award from the Colorado Black Educators Association and the Rising Star Award from the Arapahoe Democrats. Whether at the Capitol or in the community, she remains steadfastly committed to public service that uplifts every Coloradan.