Press Release- June 12, 2007
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007
Contact:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370
GOV. RITTER INTRODUCES CO-CHAIRS AND MEMBERS OF NEW P-20 EDUCATION COORDINATING COUNCIL
Gov. Bill Ritter today introduced the three co-chairs and members of the new P-20 Education Coordinating Council, a special advisory panel that will address the challenges facing Colorado's educational systems from pre-school to grad school.
The three co-chairs are Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, businessman Bruce Benson and Colorado State University at Pueblo President Joe Garcia. The Council's members include 29 experts in early childhood education, K-12 and higher education.
"They represent a wide diversity of perspective and come from all corners of Colorado," Gov. Ritter said. "The people of this state are fortunate that such an impressive array of individuals from the education community has agreed to serve on the P-20 Council. We've assembled some of the best minds in Colorado to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our time: how we can better educate our children so they can succeed in a competitive 21st century workforce."
"Producing a world-class educational system that serves as the catalyst for Colorado's leadership in the 21st century is a vision Gov. Ritter and I share," Lt. Gov. O'Brien said. "The P-20 Council will provide the momentum and the vehicle for getting us there and I'm excited to take on such a critical leadership role."
Gov. Ritter established the Council by Executive Order on April 24 to help achieve his long-term goals of cutting the state's high school drop-out rate and achievement gap in half within 10 years and doubling the number of postsecondary degrees and certificates earned by Colorado college students by 2017. Click here to read the news release and the executive order.
The Council will begin its work immediately. The first step is for the co-chairs to establish a meeting schedule and tentative agendas. The Council's first meeting will occur this summer.
The P-20 Council's mission is to ensure Colorado's educational systems from pre-school to grade 20 are seamless, are aligned along an "education highway" and are meeting the needs of today's employers. Recommendations that require legislation in the 2008 session of the General Assembly will be submitted to the Governor by the end of November, although the Council will continue to meet indefinitely.
"As a businessman, I understand the importance of a capable, competent workforce," Benson said. "I'm pleased Gov. Ritter has made this connection part of his agenda. Good jobs for our kids should always be one of our highest priorities."
Garcia said he¿s looking forward to taking a Pueblo-based alignment model to the state level. "Over the past year, we've made great progress coordinating instruction across the K-12, community college and university levels. A statewide effort will only strengthen and encourage local efforts like those in Pueblo."
Biographical information about the three co-chairs:
Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien was elected in November along with Gov. Ritter. She spent 15 years as president of the Colorado Children's Campaign, the state's leading advocacy group for children and family issues such as education and health care. She helped create the Colorado Small Schools Initiative and the Colorado Preschool Program. She has a bachelor's degree from UCLA and a doctorate from Columbia University.
Bruce Benson is president and owner of Benson Mineral Group, a domestic oil and gas production company. He has served as chairman of the Metropolitan State College of Denver board, Gov. Owens' Blue Ribbon Panel on Higher Education for the 21st Century, the Denver Public Schools Foundation and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Joe Garcia was named president of Colorado State University at Pueblo last year. Prior to that, he was president of Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs. He also has worked as the Rocky Mountain states representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and as a partner in the Colorado Springs office of law firm Holme Roberts & Owen. He earned his bachelor¿s degree from CU-Boulder and law degree from Harvard.
Complete Membership of the P-20 Education Coordinating Council
|
Co-Chairs
|
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|
Name |
|
Organization |
Title |
Community |
|
Benson |
Bruce |
Benson Mineral Group |
CEO |
|
|
Garcia |
Joe |
Colorado State University at Pueblo |
President |
Pueblo |
|
O'Brien |
Barbara |
State of Colorado |
Lt. Governor |
Denver |
|
Members
|
||||
|
Name |
|
Organization |
Title |
Community |
|
Haynes |
Anna Jo |
Mile High Montessori |
Executive Director |
Denver |
|
Phelan |
Adele |
Metropolitan State College Board of Trustees |
Chair |
Denver |
|
Keefe |
Gerald |
Kit Carson School District |
Superintendent |
Kit Carson |
|
Mills |
Tim |
Mesa County Valley 51 School District |
Superintendent |
Grand Junction |
|
Callum |
Kathy |
Denver East High School |
Principal |
Denver |
|
Moses |
Monte |
Cherry Creek School District |
Superintendent |
Greenwood Vlg. |
|
Hundley |
Lucinda |
Littleton Public Schools |
Assistant Superintendent |
Littleton |
|
Pena |
Theresa |
Denver Public Schools |
Board Member |
Denver |
|
Bravo |
Adele |
Boulder Valley Schools |
Teacher |
Boulder |
|
Ausfahl |
Bev |
Colorado Education Association |
Past President |
Denver |
|
Baca |
Amie |
Adams 12 School District |
Counselor |
Thornton |
|
Sanchez |
Frank |
Univ. of Colo. at Denver and Health Sciences Center |
Assoc. Vice Chancellor |
Denver |
|
Sowell |
John |
Western State College |
Provost |
Gunnison |
|
Linda |
Community College of Aurora |
President |
Aurora |
|
|
Horrell |
Dorothy |
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation |
President and CEO |
Denver |
|
Sirbu |
Jerry |
Platt College |
President |
Aurora |
|
Medina |
Barbara |
Colorado Department of Education |
Director, ELA Unit |
Alamosa |
|
Snyder |
Tim |
Colorado On-line Learning |
Exec. Director Emeritus |
Denver |
|
Hyatt |
Mark |
The Classical Academy |
President |
Colo. Spgs |
|
Lucero |
Dan |
Colorado ACTE |
Executive Director |
Loveland |
|
Gianniny |
Gary |
Fort Lewis College |
Professor ¿ Geosciences |
Durango |
|
Henderson |
Jim |
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs |
Professor ¿ Mathematics |
Colo. Spgs. |
|
Aragon |
Bill |
Colorado Uplift |
Executive Director |
Denver |
|
Thayer |
Paul |
Colorado State University |
AVP ¿ Student Success |
Fort Collins |
|
Ritchie |
Dan |
University of Denver |
Former Chancellor |
Denver |
|
Salazar |
LeRoy |
North Conejos School District |
President of the Board |
Alamosa |
|
Garcia |
Richard |
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition |
Executive Director |
Westminster |
|
Sheehan |
Eugene |
University of Northern Colorado |
Dean |
Greeley |
|
Shepard |
Lorrie |
University of Colorado at Boulder |
Dean |
Boulder |
|
Ex Officio (Advisory Committee Members)
|
||||
|
Name |
Organization |
Title |
Community |
|
|
Skaggs |
David |
Department of Higher Education |
Executive Director |
Denver |
|
Jones |
Dwight |
Department of Education |
Commissioner |
Denver |
|
Suckla |
Pam |
State Board of Education |
Chair |
Slick Rock |
|
Baker |
Ray |
Colorado Commission on Higher Education |
Chair |
Lakewood |