Press Release- Jan 22, 2007
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MONDAY, JAN. 22, 2007
Contact:
Evan Dreyer, 720-350-8370
GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES CU WILL LOAN EXECUTIVE TO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Program Believed to be First Internal Loan of
Top Administrator from One State Agency to Another
Gov. Bill Ritter announced today that the University of Colorado is loaning a vice chancellor to the Department of Corrections in what is believed to be the first such move by one state agency to another.
Brian Burnett will hold the dual titles of DOC deputy director and vice chancellor for administration and finance at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Ritter said CU President Hank Brown and new Corrections chief Ari Zavaras have both endorsed loaned-executive plan. The loan is expected to last about a year. Zavaras said Burnett will help review the DOC's budget and internal structure, and assist with prison reforms and assembling a new executive team.
One of Burnett's initial objectives will be to identify funding for anti-recidivism programs. Ritter said reducing the number of repeat offenders and those returning to state prison will save taxpayers money in the long run and is one of his top goals.
"Brian possesses a unique knowledge of both the Corrections budget and CU's finances," Ritter said. "By putting him to work in both arenas, we can benefit both agencies and the people of Colorado. This is a perfect example of how we intend to approach state government's diverse needs: through innovation and cooperation."
Ritter praised Brown and Zavaras for agreeing to the loan.
Burnett served as an administrator in the DOC from 1994 to 2002, including stints as director of finance and general administration, deputy director and acting executive director. As a vice chancellor at UCCS, Burnett oversees the campus' $107 million annual operating budget.
Burnett is a native of Colorado Springs and holds a bachelor's degree from CU-Boulder and a master's from CU-Denver. He is currently working on his doctorate.