Denver leaders, friends and family gathered Wednesday night in Union Station’s grand hall to toast Tami Door as she leaves her influential 17-year role as president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

She told many she had given her all to the city during one of the greatest periods of growth its downtown has ever seen.

Almost every one of the political, business, media, government and community leaders present sat at the table with Door at some point, as one of her hallmarks is the insistence that all voices be at the table — and that they be heard.

“She’s a convener who never for a moment stops thinking about who should be at the table and who will be impacted and who should be in which conversations, no matter how difficult,” said Kate Barton, executive vice president of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

Cheerleading the crowd one more time, insisting they join the chant, the last words of Door’s speech were: “Every day is our chance to make the city a better place.”

“I don’t think you can measure the significant impact that Tami has had over the last 17 years. Her legacy for downtown will be felt for decades to come,” said Walter Isenberg, CEO of Sage Hospitality Group.

He stood beneath the rooms of the Crawford Hotel, which Sage built and manages as part of the Union Station redevelopment in 2014.

“I think what the history will show is that the name Tami Door will be up there with people like Dana Crawford and others … who have been amazing city builders in Denver,” said Brad Buchanan, CEO of the National Western Center Authority.

Both were on the selection committee that chose Door to be the partnership’s leader in 2004, when they drew her and her husband Rick from Detroit, where she served as an executive vice president for the Detroit Regional Chamber.

“Tami came with the exact right mix of tenacity, city experience, personality, passion and practicality,” Buchanan said. “She has the rare ability to see a huge vision and implement the details that need to happen to make that vision reality. There’s just not that many people who can do that.”

In addition to the Union Station redevelopment, those visions included advocating for increased mobility options, redeveloping 14th Street, founding the Commons on Champa entrepreneurial center and completing the groundwork for the upcoming redevelopment of the 16th Street Mall.

She and Erik Mitisek co-founded Startup Week a decade ago. Now it’s the largest in the nation.

“Amazing cities are built by many hands, but for Tami it’s not only her hands, but her heart, her intentionality and love for Denver crafted the success we are in now,” said Mitisek. “She was the spark plug in the power plant to make Denver Startup Week a reality. And it was a gift to give those programs to amplify the story of entrepreneurs, small businesses and the city globally.”

Door’s family said she has lived and breathed the city’s well-being every day for the past 17 years. Her parents Gary and Karen Goodenough said she would constantly talk about the Mile High City during Christmas and Thanksgivings.

“It was always Denver this or Denver that,” Karen Goodenough said.

Mayor Michael B. Hancock couldn’t resist poking fun at Door’s maiden name.

“I just want to say that when you first came, we may have thought you were just good enough. But we found out that you were way more than good enough and we thank you,” Hancock said. “We will be celebrating, enjoying and boasting for years about many of the things Tami Door has helped make happen.”

Door thanked everyone and reemphasized it takes a team of leaders to make positive change.

“I have worked in cities around the country for 27 years,” she said. “I’ve worked to build cities between Detroit and Denver. I’ve come from failed cities, Flint and Detroit, that were making their way down. And then I’m here in a city that’s growing and thriving. Here’s the deal, this is the most important thing: No city is immune. The greatest cities in the world have failed, and I’ve studied cities for a long time. I want to tell you why they fail. There’s only one reason and it is lack of leadership.”

“The greatest cities don’t happen by accident. They’re built by every tree, every branch, every building, every street, every political issue, every policy change,” Door said. “Every single thing matters, and you all play a roll.”

Door’s successor at the partnership will be Kourtny Garrett, who served as president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc.