My name is Thea Chase. I’m a Baby Boomer and an independent running for House District 54 in Colorado.

You’re probably wondering why I’m headed for my next career when so many of my friends and colleagues are retiring, traveling and kicking back. There are many reasons why boomers and seniors are embarking on that new thing, working past retirement age, launching new businesses, embracing public service and taking on new challenges. But for me, personally, I have a strong belief in public service on which our government was founded. Career politicians leave a bad taste in our mouths, and it’s people like us, with practical life experience, who can bring some sense to government.

For too long and at an increasing rate, politicians posture rather than represent. Parties block rather than collaborate, and government stalls, refusing to do the right thing for its constituents rather than rolling up its sleeves in the spirit of hammering out good policy to move our state and country forward.

I come from a long line of determined and brave women. One of my great-grandmothers escaped an abusive relationship and traveled to the U.S. from Scotland with her two children in tow. Another great-grandmother operated a butcher shop in Paterson, New Jersey.

My father was a World War II veteran, but I didn’t know him well. For the most part, my mom made it on her own with two young children growing up in the 1960s. Her father didn’t feel it was important for women to be educated, so she borrowed money from her sister and put herself through college. I remember going to night classes with her when I was 5, and she got her degree in psychology. These are good memories and ones that impacted my own desire to get an education and be self-sufficient.

Another very important woman in my life is my Aunt Lois. Auntie Lo and her husband started a flower shop in my hometown of Ridgewood, New Jersey. After they divorced, she would cruise the New York City flower market with salesmen following her as she pointed out her order. When I was 11, she took me under her wing and trained me in the family business.

When I applied for the executive director position at the local Business Incubator Center in 1993, I told the board of directors about how I came from a long line of small business owners and how I understood the rewards and challenges, like working through the night, on holidays and never really taking a day off.

That’s why I’m running for state legislature, inspired by the women in my family and the overwhelming belief in our form of government and a passion to serve. For more information check out my website, www.chaseforcolorado.com.