DENVER - Democratic state party chair Pat Waak announced today the name of the five Coloradoans who will receive special recognition awards at the Colorado Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner on March 7th. In announcing the awards Ms. Waak stated, "The tremendous success we've had over the last two elections is largely due to the tireless efforts of dedicated Democrats like these five remarkable individuals." The five recipients and the awards they will receive are:

* Democrat of the Year-U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter. As a state senator from Jefferson County, Perlmutter was one of the leaders that engineered the Democratic takeover of the state senate in 2000. After serving as state senate President Pro Tem for two years, he returned to the practice of law. In 2006, Perlmutter ran and won in the 7th Congressional District replacing a Republican. Congressman Perlmutter is noted for his staunch support of renewable energy as a means to achieve energy independence, create jobs, and enhance our national security.

* Lifetime Achievement-former State Senator Ken Gordon. Mr. Gordon, a Denver attorney, recently stepped down as Majority Leader of the state senate due to term limits. Prior to serving in the senate, Gordon had been Minority Leader in the Colorado state house. Throughout his career, Mr. Gordon has been a leading proponent of campaign and election law reform. In 2006, Senator Gordon was the Democratic Party nominee for Secretary of State.

* Rising Star-Mark Ferrandino. Colorado State Rep. Mark Ferrandino is a former Treasurer of the Colorado Democratic Party. Ferrandino was a senior budget analyst before being elected state representative. He is currently a member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee at the legislature.

* Volunteer of the Year-Judi Butz. A long time stalwart of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, Ms. Butz has volunteered on numerous campaigns. A retired law firm office manager, Ms. Butz is a former president of the Office Professional Employees International Union and a former vice-president of the Colorado AFL-CIO.

* Chair's Award-Chris Meza. Mr. Meza is co-founder of Meza Construction based in Denver. Founded in 1999, Meza Construction is recognized as a leader among small business firms in the metro area. Mr. Meza continues to work on behalf of community and arts projects in the state.

This year the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner is being held prior to meetings of Democrats from around the state that includes the election of officers for the state Democratic Party. Last year over 1,800 people attended the J-J dinner to hear U.S. Senator James Webb of Virginia speak.