Westergaard, former Denver Biz Journal editor, dies at 67

Neil Westergaard, who served for 18 of those years as the editor of Denver Business Journal as the paper transitioned from a print-focused to digitally focused product, has died at the age of 67.

Ed Sealover of the Business Journal writes, “Westergaard, who had received the Colorado Press Association Newspaper Person of the Year just this April, went into the hospital not long after getting that honor and died due to complications from heart surgery and kidney failure.

“‘He was a mentor to me. He brought young writers on board. He maintained that talent and helped people to succeed,’ said Mark Harden, who worked under Westergaard at both The Post and DBJ, serving as the news editor at DBJ until shortly before Westergaard’s retirement. ‘There are so many people who really owe their careers to him and who are in a happier place now professionally and personally because he took the time to take people under his wing.’

“Born in May 1952 in the Chicago area, Westergaard came west to ski and to attend college at University of Northern Colorado, earning his bachelor’s degree in journalism.”

Read more here.