Donald "DJ" Torres

First openly queer person and first special educator ever to serve on the Denver Board of Education. Won November 2025 election with 46.9% of the vote (18,372 votes), defeating incumbent Scott Esserman (16.5%) and newcomer Caron Blanke (36.7%). Former DPS special education teacher who taught at Montbello High School (before its 2010 closure) and Florence Crittenton High School (serving pregnant and parenting teen mothers). Returned to Denver after earning his Ph.D. in California and took an equity-focused role in DPS Central Office, where he co-authored the Know Justice, Know Peace Resolution, the Black Excellence Resolution & Plan, and championed the early stages of La Raza Report to advance culturally responsive practices for Latino students. Later served as Deputy Chief Equity Officer for the City and County of Denver under Mayor Michael Hancock. Most recently served as Vice President of Strategic Programs and Delivery at Sandy Hook Promise, providing executive leadership for national school-based violence prevention programs impacting 50,000+ schools and 6 million students annually.

Latino and openly queer. Married to his husband in a two-dad family. Adoptive father raising their son, who attends McMeen Elementary (their neighborhood DPS school) and receives services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Torres serves as president of his school's Collaborative School Committee and has volunteered extensively supporting immigrant and refugee families navigating the district system.