Representative Naquetta Ricks

Naquetta Orchid Ricks is a Democratic state representative serving Colorado's House District 40, representing southeast Aurora in Arapahoe County. She is the first Black immigrant and first Liberian-American elected to a U.S. state legislature.

Ricks was born in Liberia and fled the country at age 13 with her mother and sister following a devastating military coup in 1980. Her family settled in Aurora, Colorado, where she has resided for over 40 years. She became a U.S. citizen in her early twenties and has built a distinguished career in business, advocacy, and public service.

Education

Ricks graduated from Aurora Central High School and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver. She later completed her Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado Denver. She is also a graduate of Leadership Denver and Leadership Aurora programs.

Political Experience

Ricks was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on January 13, 2021. She is currently serving her third term in the state legislature. Before pursuing elected office, she ran unsuccessfully for Aurora City Council in 2017.

As a legislator, Ricks has sponsored more than a dozen bills signed into law, including landmark legislation on immigrant rights, consumer protection, and housing reform. Her major legislative achievements include establishing Colorado's Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, the Towing Bill of Rights, HOA foreclosure reforms, and the Colorado Racial Equity Study. She also championed bills preventing medical debt from impacting credit scores and promoting racial equity initiatives.

Ricks currently serves as Chair of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and is a member of the State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. In 2023, she was selected to attend Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.

Beyond her legislative role, Ricks is the president and co-founder of the African Chamber of Commerce Colorado, which supports immigrant and minority-owned businesses through advocacy, training, and economic development. She is also founder of the African Economic Development Center and operates a successful mortgage brokerage business. She serves as president of the Liberian Surf Association, supporting youth and cultural exchange initiatives.