People make the CGA run

People of the CGA – Tom Markham

Tom Markham served as the Executive Director of the Lowry Redevelopment Authority from 1997 to 2012. The Lowry Air Force Base closed in 1994 after 63 years of operations. Part of that closure included transitioning the former Lowry Air Force Base golf course into what is now the CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course. Tom played an instrumental role in selecting the CGA to become the golf course owner and operator. Following his retirement Tom was invited to serve on the CGA board and has continued to serve as an invaluable steward of this legacy project.

EM: How did it happen that the CGA was chosen by the LRA to redevelop the old Lowry Air Force Base Golf Course?

TM: The old course was part of the conveyance of land that the LRA was responsible for transitioning. We were not golf course developers, so we interviewed over 20 companies, but hands down the CGA was the best fit. They shared our vision of building a course that would be a true community asset. Truth be told, the CGA had a better balance sheet than many of the other entities interested in redeveloping the course. They had been putting money aside for an opportunity such as this and that financial planning, along with their non-profit mission made them a perfect partner.

EM: As you look at it today, are you proud of what you see?

TM: I could not imagine a better outcome. We didn’t know if the end result would be a simple upgrade to the old course, a redo of tees, greens and bunkers, or a wholesale change. The CGA did a masterful job. To end up with a Tom Doak-designed world- class golf course is amazing.

EM: Tell us about your personal connection to the Air Force and to Lowry?

TM: I was in the 8th class at the Air Force Academy graduating in 1966. I served in the Air Force for over seven years during Vietnam and was honorably discharged as a Captain. President Eisenhower signed the bill creating the Air Force Academy in 1954 before the Air Force Academy was built in Colorado Springs. Not many people know that Lowry was the original home of the Air Force Academy. This has always given me a personal connection to Lowry.

EM: How did your love of golf play into the selection of the CGA?

TM: It figured in a lot. It made me want to educate my board on why the CGA was the right partner for us. Golf was always a big part of my life. Because of our financial success, the LRA was able to assist many new projects developed at Lowry. Two of my favorites are the Wings Over the Rockies Air Museum because of the wonderful legacy of the Air Force. The second is what the CGA has accomplished with the development of CommonGround Golf Course and all the programs offered to the community.

EM: How did the community putting green come about?

TM: From the beginning, the CGA had the vision of creating a free space for the community where everyone can engage. Putting is something everyone can do. The LRA donated the money to create this space at CommonGround a couple of years after the course opened. We were honored to do it and we named it after Dave Herlinger who loved golf and was president of the

LRA board for many years.

EM: When you reflect on the big picture of Lowry and its transition from military to public use, what stands out?

TM: Everything we did at Lowry was driven by public use. We had one of the biggest and best affordable housing programs and we created a community land trust so that these 200 units will continue to be affordable. When you look at how housing prices have continued to go up and up you realize more than ever how important it is to create affordable options.

EM: What made Lowry stand out from the other base closures that were going on during the 1990s?

TM: Lowry was part of five rounds of closures that included 125 properties. Lowry was considered to be at the very top in terms of the final outcome and its financial success.

When I traveled around the country to visit other BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) projects, I saw a lot of failures. We would not have been able to do all of the good things in the community had we not been financially successful. At the end of the day, we made a positive economic impact of $7 billion on Aurora, Denver and Colorado. I would say that is a success.

After retiring from the LRA in 2012 Tom Markham joined the CGA board in 2014. During the past 10 years, Tom has served on many CGA committees including the CGA’s golf course oversight committee. Thank you, Tom Markham, for being such a great champion for the CGA and for golf!