Who is Dan?
Long story short...
Dan Sapienza is a small-business owner, attorney, and lifelong problem-solver.
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He founded Poudre Legal Advisors, where he helps local governments, nonprofits, and small businesses navigate complex challenges. Before opening his practice, Dan spent years advising the Health District of Northern Larimer County board as legislative analyst and advocate. He served as a policy advisor to Congresswoman Betsy Markey in Washington DC during the debate and passage of the Affordable Care Act, giving him firsthand insight into how federal and local policies intersect. Dan is dedicated to making this community a better place and has served on the boards of many local non-profits, including the Fort Collins Musicians Association, the Northern Colorado AIDS Project, the Fort Collins Municipal Railway, and Salud Family Health.
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Dan and his family live in Fort Collins, where his two young sons are learning to love the same community that shaped him.
Dan Sapienza grew up as an Army brat, which meant that “home” was less about a place and more about people. His father was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army who served in the 101st Airborne Division, and Dan spent his childhood moving from post to post around the world. He was born in Alabama and lived in Kentucky, California, Wyoming, Kansas, Tennessee, Florida, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Eritrea, along with plenty of stops in between. That upbringing gave him early exposure to different cultures and communities and instilled a lasting belief that public service matters.
Just before high school, Dan moved with his mom and brother to Fort Collins, Colorado. Northern Colorado quickly became home in a way no place ever had before. He attended Fort Collins High School and was part of the last class to attend the old building. He was active in band, a community juggling club, and the science team and leaned into being involved in school life.
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Dan stayed in Fort Collins for college, attending Colorado State University where he studied political science and sociology. He served on the campus sexual assault victims advocacy team, reflecting his commitment to equity and accountability. To support himself, he worked at a local sewing machine and vacuum store, eventually becoming its manager after graduation, an experience that grounded his understanding of small business realities.
Wanting to serve at a broader level, Dan moved to the Washington, DC area to attend George Mason University School of Law. While there, he was a founding member of the law school’s Democrats Club. His studies focused on trade and economics, and he worked for the National Federation of Independent Business and an international trade consulting firm helping U.S. companies export goods. After the 2008 recession, he cold-called the office of newly elected Congresswoman Betsy Markey and was hired as her legislative assistant, handling healthcare, budget, and business issues during the debate and passage of the Affordable Care Act.
Dan later returned home to Fort Collins and spent six years with the Health District of Northern Larimer County as a legislative analyst, advisor, and lobbyist, working closely with elected officials and community partners on public health policy. He has long volunteered his time, serving on boards including the Northern Colorado AIDS Project, the Fort Collins Musicians Association, and the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society, and currently serves on the board of Salud Family Health Centers. In 2018, he ran for Larimer County Clerk and Recorder, being the first Democrat to run for the office in decades and spending months traveling the county, often starting by explaining what the Clerk and Recorder actually does. That experience reinforced the importance of helping people understand local government, a theme that continues in his campaign for County Commissioner.
After obtaining his Colorado law license, Dan joined a Fort Collins firm that became March, Olive & Sapienza, focusing on business law, property issues, and litigation. He represented small businesses and property owners across Larimer County and served as Town Attorney for the Town of Wellington, advising elected officials on governance, contracts, and compliance. He later opened his own firm, Poudre Legal Advisors, where he now focuses exclusively on helping small businesses avoid conflict rather than fight it in court. His work emphasizes proactive planning, negotiation, and mediation, and he often tells clients that if he does his job well, they never have to see the inside of a courtroom.
Dan lives in Fort Collins with his wife, Vanessa Fuel, and their two sons, Emmett and Miles. Much of his family remains in Northern Colorado, and this is the place he has chosen to invest his life and career. After growing up everywhere, Larimer County is home, and it is where he wants his children to have the same bright future and sense of opportunity that brought him back. Outside of work and public service, Dan is a board game designer and educator who has taught classes at the Fort Collins Creator Hub. Across law, public service, and community involvement, his through-line remains simple: show up, do the hard work, and stay grounded in the people and places that make Larimer County home.