Dafna Michaelson Jenet | |
|---|---|
 Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet in 2019 | |
| Member of the Colorado Senate from the 21st district | |
| Assumed office September 19, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Dominick Moreno |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 32nd district | |
| In office January 9, 2023 – September 19, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | Manny Rutinel |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 30th district | |
| In office January 11, 2017 – January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | JoAnn Windholz |
| Succeeded by | Redistricted |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 14, 1972 Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Michael Jenet |
| Residence | Commerce City, Colorado[1] |
| Alma mater | BA, Yeshiva University, Stern College for Women[2] MBA, University of Denver, Daniels College of Business[2] |
| Profession | Public Speaker, Author[2] |
| Website | Dafna for Colorado |
Dafna Michaelson Jenet (born November 14, 1972) is a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate representing Senate District 21. She previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives representing House District 32 and, prior to redistricting, District 30, which covered a portion of Adams County including parts of Commerce City, Aurora, Brighton, Henderson, Bennett, Keensburg, Strasburg, and Thornton. She was elected to that seat in 2016, unseating Republican incumbent JoAnn Windholz.
Michaelson Jenet and her husband Michael Jenet founded the nonprofit Journey Institute.[3] She is the sister of Yehiel Mark Kalish, the only Rabbi to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives.[4] She published her first book, It Takes a Little Crazy to Make a Difference in 2015. The book, which describes her yearlong tour of all 50 states in 2009, won the 2015 International Book Award in the social change category.[2][5] She published her second book, Peanut's Legacy, in 2017. In it, she describes the loss of her final pregnancy.[6]
Michaelson Jenet serves as Chair of House Public and Behavioral Healthcare and Human Services Committee. She also serves on the Legislative Audit Committee and on the House Education Committee and was chair of the Interim School Safety Committee in 2019. In 2018, Michaelson Jenet was elected caucus chair by her peers in the General Assembly.[7][8]
In August 2023 she was selected by a vacancy committee to represent District 21 in the Colorado Senate, succeeding Dominick Moreno.[9]
- ^ "Dafna For Colorado HD30 2016". Dafna For Colorado HD30 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d "About Dafna - HD 30". 13 August 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ "Home". The Journey Institute. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ Oster, Marcy. "Legislator US rabbi in Illinois loses Democratic primary bid". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
- ^ Niedringhaus, Cassa (July 10, 2015). "15 Minutes With…International Book Award Winner Dafna Michaelson Jenet". 5280. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "Amazon Author Profile - Dafna Michaelson Jenet". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Dafna Michaelson Jenet | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Deputy Caucus Chair Dafna Michaelson Jenet – Colorado House Democrats". Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Dafna Michaelson Jenet picked to replace Dominick Moreno in Colorado Senate". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved 2023-09-01.