Dr. Joann Ginal is currently serving as a Colorado State Senator in Senate District 14 representing Fort Collins and Larimer County. She serves as Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee and as Vice Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. She has been a resident of Fort Collins for over 30 years.
Senator Ginal’s commitment to public service was instilled in her by her parents. Raised in a working class family in Manchester, NH, her father was a police officer and her mother was a dedicated community volunteer. During World War II, Senator Ginal’s father served in the Navy in the South Pacific while her uncles served in North Africa and the European Theater. Both her brothers served in the Army, and Senator Ginal was a member of the Air Force ROTC. The Ginals were a union family, and Senator Ginal is an member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), having worked in an electrical meter box factory in NH. Her parents taught her the value of honesty and hard work, and the importance of giving back to the community and to our country. These values have influenced Senator Ginal’s passion for helping people and communities, which led her on a successful career path as an educator, healthcare professional, bio-scientist, community leader, and state legislator.
Senator Ginal has served in the Colorado Legislature for the past eight years. From 2012-2018, she was a State Representative in District 52, and for the past three years, she has been a State Senator in Senate District 14. She won and retained her Senate position in the November 2020 election.
Before holding elected office, Senator Ginal spent 25 years as a scientist specializing in reproductive endocrinology in the pharmaceutical and medical industry. Her dedication to improved healthcare included holding positions spanning from sales and marketing to clinical field research as a medical liaison specializing in women’s health, neurology, and cardiology. She is currently the only scientist in the Colorado State Senate, and her contributions to matters related to healthcare and public health are significant.
Before her business experience, Senator Ginal was a professor of biology at Florida Institute of Technology. She also worked as a researcher on aging issues at the University of Florida in Gainesville and held teaching positions at Iowa State University and Colorado State University. She earned a Ph.D. in reproductive endocrinology from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, a Master’s degree in zoology with a specialty in parasitology from Iowa State University, and a Bachelor’s degree with honors in biology and a minor in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire.
Senator Ginal has also worked as a lead biologist for several eco-travel companies, leading expedition biodiversity trips down the Amazon River in Peru, Colombia, and Brazil, and heading African photo safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. She has trekked in Botswana and Namibia. Through these travels, she has gained appreciation for the protection of our environment and endangered species.
Senator Ginal is an active member of the Fort Collins community, including serving on several City Boards and Commissions for 16 years. She served 8 years on the Commission on the Status of Women followed by another 8 years on the Human Relations Commission. Senator Ginal is a trained master naturalist for the City of Fort Collins and cares deeply about preserving the extraordinary places that make it nationally recognized as a wonderful area to live, work, retire, enjoy the outdoors, and receive an excellent education. Senator Ginal cares deeply about listening to and addressing the concerns of her constituents, and she is available year round to assist you. Visit the Contact Page if you would like to reach out to her.
Senator Ginal loves being outdoors. Her favorite activities include hiking and slot canyoneering in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. She has trekked for many weeks at a time in the U.S., Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and South America. Along with those adventures, she enjoys skiing, paddle boarding, riding her motorcycle, and collecting vintage maps and books.