Biography

Cary Kennedy moved to Colorado when she was seven years old. She graduated from Manual High School (Denver) in 1986 and from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, in 1990. She earned a masters degree in public administration from Columbia University in 1993 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law in 1995. Cary is a member of the Colorado bar.

Cary worked in the Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting (gubernatorial appointment) for Governor Roy Romer from 1995 to 1998. She worked as a fiscal analyst for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Children's Basic Health Plan in 1998 and 1999. In 1999-2000, Cary led a broad bi-partisan coalition to increase funding for Colorado's public schools. Amendment 23 was approved by Colorado voters in November, 2000. In 2000-2002, Cary worked for Educare Colorado (now Qualistar) to bring increased federal funding into Colorado to support early education and school readiness. She later joined the Colorado Children's Campaign to work on a statewide initiative to increase the tax on tobacco products in order to expand health insurance for low income children and fund cancer research. In 2004-2005 Cary served as the policy director for House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to assist with the development of the budget compromise Referendum C, approved by Colorado voters in November 2005.

Cary is married to Dr. Saurabh Mangalik and they have two children, Kadin (8) and Kyra (6).