STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov. John Hickenlooper, inaugurated today, signed a fourth executive order that creates an education leadership council.

It supersedes Executive Order B 003 07 creating the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council. That order was issued by Hickenlooper’s predecessor, Bill Ritter.

The announcement and the text of the order follow.

Gov. Hickenlooper signs Executive Order to create Education Leadership Council

DENVER ­— Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 — Gov. John Hickenlooper attended a luncheon today for the My Colorado student contest winners and signed an executive order to create the Governor’s Education Leadership Council.

“Our state’s future is only as strong as our students and their ability to gain a world-class education,” Hickenlooper said. “By establishing this leadership council, we are building on past successful initiatives and ensuring a skilled workforce to compete in a global economy.”

The Governor’s Education Leadership Council will be housed in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and will replace the previous Governor’s P-20 Educating Coordinating Council.

“Under Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia’s leadership,” Hickenlooper said, “we will help current students and future generations find the best education, regardless of geographic location, social or economic background.”

This is the fourth Executive Order signed today by Gov. Hickenlooper:

B 2010-010

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Creating the Governor’s Education Leadership Council

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Office of the Governor of the State of Colorado, I, John Hickenlooper, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order creating the Governor’s Education Leadership Council to be housed in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order B 003 07 creating the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council.

I. Background, Need, and Purpose

Colorado is a resource rich state, and its most vital resource is its people. Just as we cultivate our natural resources to make Colorado a more prosperous state, so too we must invest in and cultivate our citizens. Each successive generation must foster the development of its future teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, small business owners, and professionals. To be competitive in the global marketplace, Colorado’s businesses and industries require increasing numbers of highly skilled employees. The state’s economic competitiveness and the prosperity and quality of life of its individual residents depend on the universal excellence and competitiveness of its public education systems. Colorado must educate its way to a stronger economy.

The 21st century talent pipeline must be inclusive, diverse, and reach all communities, regardless of their location, setting, or resources. It must be a seamless continuum from cradle to college, encompassing the state’s early childhood efforts at one end and world-class postsecondary institutions at the other. It must cultivate talent from the earliest stages of life, prepare students for successful entry into formal education systems, train students to be ready for entry into postsecondary or workforce pursuits upon completion of compulsory education, and ensure that only motivation and interest determine whether a student will enter into and complete postsecondary studies.

Between 2007 and 2010, the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council was successful in fulfilling the requirements of Executive Order B 003 07. The P-20 Education Coordinating Council created numerous recommendations for the improved alignment and design of the state’s early childhood, K-12 and postsecondary education systems. During this same timeframe, the Colorado General Assembly passed several additional laws and the Colorado State Board of Education passed rules with profound and far reaching implications for reforming the state’s education systems; the Colorado Commission on Higher Education prepared a forward-looking strategic plan and launched a statewide master planning process; and the Early Childhood Leadership Commission adopted the Early Childhood Colorado Framework as a strategic guide.

If implemented successfully, these initiatives hold the promise to align the state’s education systems, improve the quality of instruction throughout the state, and allow all students, regardless of their geographic location, ancestry, or personal wealth, to prepare for full participation in the increasingly demanding and competitive Colorado economy. The successful implementation of these laws is not the responsibility of one agency or board, but is a shared obligation of the executive and legislative branches of government, locally elected school boards and district administrators, educators in classrooms, early childhood providers, and postsecondary governing boards and administrators. Additionally, the ultimate success of these initiatives requires the involvement and support of parents, health care and human service providers, community partners, and the private sector.

Therefore, to deliver on the collective promise of the state’s recent education reforms and continue the cross-system dialogue that recently facilitated broad agreement on the direction of the future and functions of the state’s education systems, it is imperative that the Office of the Governor continues to provide a meaningful forum through which the state’s leadership can examine the current status of education policies, analyze the systems’ near-term opportunities and challenges, and make recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and governing boards regarding potential long-term improvements to the state’s education systems that facilitate the goals of closing achievement gaps in schools, reducing the high school dropout rate, and dramatically increasing the number of postsecondary degrees and certificates earned by the state’s citizens.

For these purposes, the Education Leadership Council has been created.

II. Mission and Scope

A. The Education Leadership Council shall be housed in the Lieutenant Governor’s office. The Lieutenant Governor will be responsible for chairing the council, scheduling the meetings, setting the agenda, and reporting to the Governor.

B. The scope of the Education Leadership Council shall be to improve Colorado’s standing in the country as a leader in providing 21st century learning opportunities from birth through graduate school.

C. The purpose of the Education Leadership Council shall be to provide a forum for discussing the progress of the implementation and synchronization of the education reform initiatives recently enacted and any additional major reform initiatives that are enacted during the duration of the commission.

D. The Education Leadership Council shall also provide a forum to discuss policy initiatives that should be created, implemented or promoted for the purpose of addressing any of the issues identified in the Background, Need and Purpose statement of this Executive Order as well as efforts intended to address the following topics:

1. improving school readiness;

2. reducing dropout rates;

3. easing transitions between systems and institutions;

4. closing achievement gaps among members of different income, racial and ethnic groups;

5. reducing remediation rates for students entering higher education;

6. increasing student retention and graduation rates;

7. increasing the number of degrees and certificates awarded; and

8. removing barriers for entry into college and the performance of graduates.

E. The Education Leadership Council shall facilitate conversations to discuss the status of reform initiatives and, as needed, formulate recommendations, including possible legislative and policy remedies, needed for their accomplishment.

F. The Education Leadership Council shall guide the efforts of the governor to strategically and intentionally engage the private sector and foundation community to address current gaps in the education pipeline by leveraging their resources with existing public sector dollars.

G. The Education Leadership Council shall provide a report on its activities and recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, State Board of Education, and Colorado Commission on Higher Education at the end of each calendar year of its formal existence.

H. The Education Leadership Council shall meet regularly and shall determine its own meeting schedule.

III. Membership

A. The Education Leadership Council shall be composed of members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor.

B. Required members of the Education Leadership Council shall include, but not be limited to the following members:

1. the Lieutenant Governor, who will serve as Chairman of the Council,

2. the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education or his or her designee from the Department of Higher Education,

3. the Commissioner of Education or his or her designee from the Department of Education,

4. the Chairman of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education or his or her designee from the CCHE,

5. the Chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education or his or her designee from the SBE,

6. the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee or his or her designee from the Senate Education Committee,

7. the Chairman of the House Education Committee or his or her designee from the House Education Committee,

8. the Executive Director of the Early Childhood Leadership Commission or his or her designee,

9. the Executive Director of Health and Human Services,

10. at least one member who is a member of a local school board,

11. at least one member who is a school superintendent or building principal,

12. at least one member who is a classroom teacher,

13. at least one member who is a board member of or administrator at a public charter school,

14. at least one member who is a postsecondary administrator representing the two-year sector,

15. at least one member who is a postsecondary administrator or instructor representing the four-year sector,

16. at least one member who represents private businesses or industries in Colorado,

17. at least one member who represents an organization that supports or has expertise in infant health and development, and

18. any other citizens of the State of Colorado that the Governor considers suitable for the council.

C. The Education Leadership Council may create subcommittees as needed to address specific issues and may, at the discretion of the Council, invite experts, consultants, and ex officio members to support the work of the subcommittees.

IV. Staffing and Resources

Staff in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and Office of the Governor shall provide to the Education Leadership Council necessary support, information, data, analytical information, and administrative support.

The Education Leadership Council shall have the power to accept money and in-kind contributions from private entities and persons only to the extent such donations are necessary to cover its expenses. Any money contributed to the Education Leadership Council shall be directed to the Office of the Governor and deposited with the Treasurer of the State of Colorado in an account within the Office of the Governor’s budget. Members of the Education Leadership Council shall serve without compensation, but may, at the discretion of the chair and approval of the Office of the Governor, be reimbursed for any actual expenses incurred.

V. Directive

The Governor’s Education Leadership Council is hereby created. . This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order B 003 07 creating the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council.

VI. Duration

This Executive Order shall remain in force unless modified or rescinded earlier by a subsequent Executive Order

GIVEN under my hand and the

Executive Seal of the State of

Colorado, eleventh day

of January, 2011.

John W. Hickenlooper

Governor

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Photo: Jamie Cotten, State Bill Colorado

STATE BILL COLORADO

Former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter appended this note for incoming Gov. John Hickenlooper to a painting in the governor’s office.

The painting is of a peaceful Colorado mountain scene featuring an angler on a trout stream.

Ritter drew an arrow towards the angler. The note reads: “John, I’ll be easy to find. Bill.”

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Video: 9News

Editor’s Note: The text of Gov. Hickenlooper’s speech follows this report.

By Matt Masich, STATE BILL COLORADO

Former Denver mayor and newly sworn in Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper wasted no time addressing the state’s economic woes, announcing in his inaugural speech three executive orders aimed at creating jobs.

The first is an initiative for all 64 Colorado counties “to chart a course for economic revival from the bottom up.” Hickenlooper said he will on Friday begin a four-day trip across the state to kick start the program.

The second executive order will create a governor’s trade and tourism ambassador program, in which volunteer ambassadors will spread the word about “the Colorado advantage” to the national and global business communities, branding the state as one that welcomes entrepreneurs.

The third executive order is designed to streamline the state’s relationship with its counties.

Hickenlooper promised a government that is lean, yet efficient and effective. He learned budgeting and the value of a dollar from his mother, a child of the Great Depression. Everything in his administration will be measured, Hickenlooper said. In a moment of levity, he mentioned he had even measured the number of steps it took to walk across Civic Center Park from his old office in the City and County Building to the State Capitol — 663.

But Coloradans shouldn’t scale back their ambitions along with their budget, he said.
“While we recognize the limitations of government, we don’t’ have to, nor should we limit our dreams of what Colorado can be,” Hickenlooper said.

Education is critical to making the state attractive to business. Colorado has one of the most highly educated workforces in the country.

A large crowd turned out in chilly weather for the inauguration, which also featured the swearing in of Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, Attorney General John Suthers, Secretary of State Scott Gessler and Treasurer Walker Stapleton.

Former Gov. Bill Ritter spoke briefly, noting that he should as a rule not speak longer in minutes than the temperature in degrees, adding, “It’s four degrees.”

Hickenlooper took the reins of government with his trademark good humor, tempered by a recognition of the solemnity of the occasion.

“A wise man told me humility has at least two essential ingredients. It’s knowing that any aspect of your life can collapse in an instant, and sincere gratitude that it has not,” he said.

“I came here to study rocks and ended up selling beer. I could not be more humbled to be your governor and am deeply, deeply grateful.”

John Hickenlooper was sworn in Tuesday as Colorado’s 42nd governor.

Here is the text of Hickenlooper’s inauguration speech as prepared for delivery:

A wise man told me: Humility has at least two essential ingredients – it is knowing that any aspect of your life can collapse in an instant, and sincere gratitude that it has not.

Some might say I am not your traditional elected leader. I struggled in school, was laid off when my first career collapsed, and had to work many years of long hours running restaurants.

I came to Colorado to study rocks … and ended up selling beer.

I could not be more humbled to be your Governor, and I am deeply grateful.

So to the people of Colorado, I want to first say, thank you.

We face challenging times and I am proud that we will face them together. We are Coloradans. We are not daunted by a little cold weather. We don’t shrink from high passes or hard work. With the current challenge comes a great opportunity to put aside our differences and work to make Colorado – Our Colorado – a model of prosperity and good government.

Helen and Teddy and I would like to express our warm appreciation and gratitude to the people who have taken this journey with us. First among these is my running mate, Lt. Governor Joe Garcia, and his wife, Claire, and their family. Joe’s leadership and keen insight into the educational needs of the next generation will serve our state well.

Let me congratulate those who take office in this term: Attorney General John Suthers, Treasurer Walker Stapleton and Secretary of State Scott Gessler. I know we share the same love for this state and belief in its better future.

We have such strong partners with us today – Sen. Mark Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Congressman Ed Perlmutter and Congressman Jared Polis – working for Colorado in Washington. And here at home, our partners are Senate President Brandon Shaffer and Minority Leader Mike Kopp House Speaker Frank McNulty and Minority Leader Sal Pace – and all the members of the Colorado legislature. We look forward to the work ahead and we appreciate the commitment that’s been shown already to governing together. I also want to acknowledge members of the Colorado Supreme Court who are with us today.

And to Gov. Bill Ritter: Thank you.

Thank you for defining Colorado as the epicenter for renewable energy and for keeping the education andhealth of our kids at the top of your agenda.

Thank you so much for all of your service to Colorado. Your administration has provided us with a smooth and complete transition. We are grateful to them and to you.

On behalf of all Coloradans, we thank you and Jeannie for your service and wish you Godspeed in your new endeavors.

As Helen and I walked over from Denver’s City Hall this morning, I was reminded that we made nearly the same walk 365 days ago to announce our campaign for Governor.

It was only a few steps – well, actually, 663 steps to be exact … we will measure everything in our new administration – but it was also the beginning of a great journey that took us to every county in Colorado. We visited feedlots and fish hatcheries, cheese plants and cracker companies, and wind farms and gas fields. We even found our way to more than a few brewpubs.

We saw old friends and made new ones. From the red rocks of the Book Cliffs to the cherry orchards of the North Fork, from high ranches in the Flattops to the high plains of Hugo, the Flatirons to Grand Mesa, we experienced the extraordinary beauty and diversity that all of Colorado has to offer. Along the way, we found ourselves sitting at a number of kitchen tables.

The kitchen table is where household decisions are made. It’s where parents write grocery lists and kids do their homework. It’s where families share their laughter and concerns, their joys and sorrows. There, in the heart of a family’s home, you could hear the heartbeat of Colorado.

Let me tell you, that heartbeat is strong.

Even in these most difficult of times, the people of Colorado persevere and grow stronger.

This economic downturn goes beyond statistics and forecasts. It’s personal. All of us know someone who has lost a job. We know someone who went back to work after retiring because their nest egg cracked along with Wall Street. And we know someone burdened with anxiety and fear about the pink slip that might appear tomorrow.

As Franklin Roosevelt reminded my mother’s generation, fear is both contagious and debilitating.

My mother knew something about hard times. In the middle of the Great Depression – when she was just 13 years old – her father’s business, the Old Orchard Distillery, went bankrupt, changing the family’s fortunes forever. My mother lost two husbands, one to war … one to cancer. And yet, I never heard her complain or feel sorry for herself. She never blamed anyone.

The lessons she learned were brought home to our kitchen table. My older sisters Betsy and Deb, and my older brother Sydney, traveled great distances to join us today. As kids, we all learned that you don’t spend what you don’t have; you don’t use up your savings on things you may want but don’t need; and while no one would call my mom an entrepreneur, I learned a lot about business from her.

Even in adversity, she was an optimist. She was good at pinching a penny and above all she believed that hard work could overcome almost anything.

My mother’s story is not unique, nor is her wisdom unfamiliar around Holyoke or Cortez, Craig or Walden. Our families may all sit at different kitchen tables but the talk is much the same. Our need for meaningful work, and our desire to see our children prosper and be healthy … it’s the same at every kitchen table across Colorado. To make those dreams come true, we need jobs.

Our first task, our highest priority, is jobs.

We will help businesses expand and protect the jobs we have, we will attract new jobs, and we will unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that has always defined Colorado through her history.

We will also face our budget challenge squarely. We will make the hard choices necessary to balance Colorado’s budget just like families do at their kitchen tables.

Today, I will sign several Executive Orders. The first order requires state government to join in partnership with local communities in creating jobs and designing economic development plans that are uniquely suited to these communities. This effort, focusing on the use of local talent and resources, is an initiative for all 64 counties – from Dolores to Douglas, from Mineral to Morgan … and all the places in between. We will chart a course for economic revival from the bottom up, county by county. On Friday, I will embark on a four-day trip around the state to begin this process.

Our second Executive Order places a new emphasis on global opportunities as an engine for job creation. Business is about relationships. This order will create the Governor’s Trade and Tourism Ambassador Program. We intend to enlist Colorado-related businesses and individuals living in other states and countries who have a stake in Colorado. These volunteer ambassadors will spread the word about Colorado, brand us as a state that welcomes innovation and new investment, and help us spur international tourism and export opportunities.

A third Executive Order begins the task of making the State a more effective partner with our counties. It provides for more flexibility and less bureaucracy; more freedom with fewer mandates. It also sends a message to the private sector that we mean to cut red tape, make licenses and regulations more rational and easier to understand, and that we mean to do it as a partner with local communities.

By taking specific actions today, we want the people of Colorado to know that we heard you and we shareyour urgency to get Colorado back to work. We also heard you want a leaner and less partisan government. We recruited people for our Cabinet, independent of political backgrounds, who will put our state first and bring the commitment needed to meet our fiscal challenges. We chose them because they share our values of competence, integrity and compassion.

Their job will be to help us shrink government while still being effective and efficient. They have not been asked – nor will they be expected – to provide a partisan perspective. Their work will define Colorado as a beacon of good government, where innovation and customer service is part of the daily exercise of every state employee. As business is attracted to excellence, this emphasis on good government must be a cornerstone of our economic revival.

We will measure everything we do and make changes where change makes sense. We will protect our land and water and preserve the natural beauty that helps define Colorado. Above all, we will focus on education as the social bedrock for the hopes and dreams of our children and the quality of their jobs.

In these most challenging of times, while we recognize the limitations of government, we don’t have to – nor should we – limit our dreams of what Colorado must be.

Colorado must be a place known for embracing young entrepreneurs with fresh ideas and innovative ventures.

Colorado must be a place where kids get a world-class education preparing them for the rigors of leadership and the jobs that will define prosperity in the 21st century.

Colorado must be a place where our college degrees and the learning they signify are the envy of every other state.

Colorado must be a place where we are known, not only for the beauty of our landscapes and wonders of nature, but also for the advance of new technologies and new ways of powering the economy.

Why Colorado more than any other place? We have one of the most highly-educated work forces in America. We have perhaps the highest percentage of any state, of people who came here not for a job or promotion, but for our quality of life. And they have kept coming even through this long, hard recession.

Plus, we have the best beer. Rest assured, we will be obsessive in spreading the word about the Colorado advantage.

We can be hopeful about our future. We can be bold. We will come through this rough time because we have emerged from rough times before – because we are resilient and undaunted. We’ll do it by working together in the best tradition of the West. Like every river runner knows, when you get into rough water everybody paddles.

There’s a Yiddish word, “landsman” (londs-man) which, roughly translated, means “a fellow villager” – a stranger, perhaps, but still someone you welcome because you know they share a common connection in the village of your ancestors.

I think we can learn from this Yiddish expression and the warmth it evokes.

This value doesn’t spring from government. But it can teach all of us to govern together. I feel that every Coloradan is member of our administration.

As we traveled the state this last year, we didn’t speak ill of those who disagreed with us – and we refused to make personal attacks.

Today, perhaps more than ever, our relationships must be defined by respect, our discourse must be civil and tolerant.

And so, I invite you all to join us at Colorado’s kitchen table and to plan our future. Because this is Our Colorado.

God bless the state of Colorado.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

The HR chief for Kaiser Permanente locally is John Hickenlooper’s choice to succeed Rich Gonzales at the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration.

The full press release follows.

Kathy Nesbitt named Executive Director of Department of Personnel and Administration

DENVER ­— Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Kathy Nesbitt will be Executive Director of the Department of Personnel and Administration.

Nesbitt is now Director of Human Resources for Kaiser Permanente in Denver. She is an attorney who has more than 14 years of Human Resources and leadership experience.

“Kathy is a true human resources professional whose experience includes negotiating, labor relations and workers compensation,” Hickenlooper said. “She shares our commitment to providing outstanding customer service and we are pleased to have her as part of our team.”

Nesbitt is now a key member of the Kaiser leadership team that provides human resource services to more than 5,000 employees in the health care organization.

“It is essential that the Department of Personnel and Administration support the state’s workforce in the most cost-efficient and effective manner,” Nesbitt said. “I look forward to helping to ensure the state remains a great place to work.”

Nesbitt earlier worked as a staff attorney for Mountain States Employers Counsel and an employment attorney at Qwest Communications. She also worked as a staff attorney at Kaiser before returning later as a human resources leader and counsel.

Nesbitt, a native of Denver, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and a juris doctorate from Southern University Law Center.

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About the Department of Personnel and Administration

The Department provides centralized human resources for the state’s approximately 38,000 employees, as well as the information, tools, resources and materials needed for Colorado state government to function. The Department provides much of the infrastructure to support the operations of state government agencies and departments. Led by its executive office, the Department operates through five divisions: Finance and Procurement, Central Services, Human Resources, Office of the State Controller, and Office of Administrative Courts.

About Partners for Colorado

Partners for Colorado is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation created to engage a diverse group of people from all over Colorado; ensure a smooth hand-off from the Ritter administration to the Hickenlooper administration; review the current performance, challenges and opportunities of each major area of state government and develop recommendations for improving practices within these areas; provide recommendations to the incoming administration for specific executive and legislative actions that can be pursued during the administration’s first 100 days; and recruit and evaluate candidates.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

On his last full day in office, Gov. Bill Ritter announced a number of college-board appointments.

Those appointed include outgoing Democratic House Speaker Terrance Carroll to the Metropolitan State College board and outgoing Democratic Rep. Buffie McFadyen to the Adams State College Board.

GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO HIGHER ED BOARDS

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced appointments to various boards overseeing state colleges around the state, marking the final appointments of his term in office. Since January 2007, Gov. Ritter has named more than 3,200 people to state boards. Today’s nominations:

Colorado State University Board of Governors

Leonard W. Gregory of Pueblo West, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Bonifacio A. Cosyleon of Pueblo, re-appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education

Anthony L. Leffert of Denver, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

James M. Johnson of Colorado Springs, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

John U. Trefny of Golden, re-appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees

Matthew S. Wassam of Sedalia, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Peter R. Decker or Ridgway, re-appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Adams State College Board of Trustees

Liane “Buffie” McFadyen of Pueblo West, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Timothy L. Walters of Alamosa, re-appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Metropolitan State College of Denver Board of Trustees

Terrance D. Carroll of Denver, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Ellen S. Robinson, re-appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Michelle M. Lucero of Littleton, re-appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Western State College of Colorado Board of Trustees

Linda A. Clark of Denver, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

Todd M. Wheeler of Castle Rock, appointed to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2014

For more information about Colorado boards and commissions, or to obtain an application, visit the Boards and Commission website, e-mail boards@state.co.us, or call 303.866.6380.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Sen. Suzanne Williams, who was involved in a fatal car accident in Texas, won’t head the Senate Transportation Committee after all.

Senate Majority Leader shuffled the deck, naming Evie Hudak to take Williams’ place because transportation issues require “a full-time active chair.” Williams has been in Texas attending to family members injured in the accident.

Newly appointed Sen. Irene Aguilar’s committee assignments also have been made.

The full press release follows.

Senate Majority Leader John Morse Makes Final Adjustments to Senate Committees

DENVER—Today, Senate Majority Leader John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) announced final changes to the senate committees for the upcoming legislative session. Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) will serve as the Senate Transportation Committee chair, a position that had originally been slated for Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora). Additionally, Senator Irene Aguilar, M.D. (D-Denver), who was elected to fill the vacancy of Senator Chris Romer is assigned to the Health and Human Services Committee, the Local Government and Energy Committee, and will serve as vice-chair of the Business, Labor and Technology Committee.

On the change to the Transportation Committee appointment, Senator Morse offered the following comment:

“Today, in my capacity as the Senate Majority Leader, I appointed Senator Evie Hudak to serve as chair of the Transportation Committee. There are a number of important measures to come before the Transportation Committee this session requiring a full-time, active chair. Senator Williams’ accident in Texas on December 26th and the needs of her family and the Gomez family will undoubtedly consume substantial energy and force her to spend some time away from the senate.

It is in the best interest of Senator Williams to devote herself to the long and painful process ahead for her to assist, as she is able, in the recovery of her family and the victims of this horrendous tragedy.

My thoughts go out to the young family who must carry on without their mother, and I wish for a healthy recovery by Senator Williams and her family. This unimaginable loss of life and the pain they must feel weigh heavily on me and my colleagues.”

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Incoming Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia will do double duty this year, acting as No. 2 to Gov. John Hickenlooper and also serving as head of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

Garcia, who will be inaugurated tomorrow, was most recently president of Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Hickenlooper, who made the appointment, said it’s unclear whether legislation will be required for Garcia to serve in both posts. The governor-elect is working with both the General Assembly and the Attorney General’s Office on that front.

“Higher education is critical to work force development,” Garcia said. “I am committed to making sure that we are ready to retain, expand and attract jobs to Colorado with a well-educated work force and we can’t achieve our goal of remaining competitive without high quality, affordable colleges and universities.”

The full press release follows.

Lt. Gov.-elect Joe Garcia named to lead the Colorado Department of Higher Education

DENVER ­— Monday,  Jan. 10, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Lt. Gov.-elect Joseph “Joe” Garcia will also serve as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

“Joe Garcia is in a unique position to wear two hats in state government,” Hickenlooper said. “He is a known leader with tremendous expertise in education. He also understands the challenges facing higher education because he’s led a community college and a university. Allowing Garcia to serve in two roles will save money and serve the taxpayers of Colorado without compromising the work of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office or the Department of Higher Education. Joe will bring wisdom, experience and passion to the job.”

Garcia most recently worked as president of Colorado State University-Pueblo and energized the campus by considering nontraditional solutions to longstanding issues. While there, he helped the school overcome stagnant enrollment, a mediocre reputation and financial difficulties.

He also worked with local alumni and parents to raise private funds to bring back a football program that had been abandoned in 1984. The effort, coupled with several new student-oriented facilities to make the campus more attractive, contributed to a two-fold increase in freshman enrollment at the school.

“Higher education is critical to work force development,” Garcia said. “I am committed to making sure that we are ready to retain, expand and attract jobs to Colorado with a well-educated work force and we can’t achieve our goal of remaining competitive without high quality, affordable colleges and universities.”

While it’s unclear whether legislation may be necessary, Hickenlooper is working with leaders in the General Assembly and the Attorney General to clarify that the Lieutenant Governor can concurrently serve in a Cabinet position if appointed and confirmed by the Senate.

Garcia would be serving in an unusual but not a unique role. His predecessor, Barbara O’Brien,  also focused on education by co-chairing, with Garcia and Bruce Benson, the P-20 Task Force. She also led the state’s effort to acquire Race to the Top funding and she was an active leader in education reform.

Garcia, however, would also take on the responsibility of running an executive branch agency along with his Lieutenant Governor duties. His experience in running an executive branch agency under former Gov. Roy Romer and his decade of service as the president of a community college and a state university makes him both uniquely qualified to take on the additional responsibilities and well-suited to fully and diligently perform the duties of both roles.

Before he worked at CSU-Pueblo, Garcia was president of the second-largest community college in Colorado, Pike’s Peak Community College. There, he oversaw three campuses that serve more than 16,000 students annually. He earlier worked for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies as the Executive Director. In this capacity, he managed and maintained budgetary responsibility for such Colorado divisions as Banking, Financial Services, Real Estate, Insurance, Civil Rights, Securities, and Public Utilities Commission. Garcia was appointed by Romer.

Garcia has continuously participated in community and non-profit organizations throughout his professional career. These experiences taught him to find solutions, not by driving a partisan agenda but by working with all stakeholders to reach a common ground. He and his wife, Dr. Claire Garcia, became deeply involved in public education when their own children entered grade school in Colorado Springs. Garcia served in roles as varied as PTO President to Legal Counsel for the District 11 School Board.

Dr. Claire Garcia is a professor of English at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. She joined the school in 1989.

Born into a military family with deep roots in northern New Mexico, Garcia has lived in cities ranging from the Western United States to Western Europe. Garcia earned a business degree from the University of Colorado. He returned to Colorado after earning a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School because of the quality of life found here. An avid mountain biker and mountain climber in the summer and snowboarder in the winter, Garcia could not imagine calling anywhere else his home – and hopes to pass that tradition onto his children and grandchildren.

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Garcia’s appointment to serve as the Executive Director of the Department of Higher Education has received widespread support from other campus leaders throughout the state:

Bob Schaffer, chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education

“Having Mr. Garcia serve in a dual role as Lt. Governor and Executive Director of CDHE is a very good idea. It wholly utilizes Mr. Garcia’s talents while establishing a direct and tight linkage between higher education and the Governor’s Office. The move clearly signals that higher education is a top state priority in an effective, efficient and economical way. I think it’s a great opportunity and I’m glad the governor-elect is taking advantage of this.”

Joe Blake, Chancellor of the Colorado State University System

“Having worked with Joe Garcia during his tenure as President of CSU-Pueblo, I can personally underscore his passion for hard work and commitment to higher education, particularly in the areas of access and affordability. Colorado and higher education are extremely fortunate to have Joe Garcia in place as the leading voice for higher education. Indeed, he a is great voice for Colorado.”

Bruce Benson, president of University of Colorado

“When Joe Garcia was announced as the candidate for Lieutenant Governor, I knew that he would also be the ideal choice to be the Executive Director for the Department of Higher Education. He has experience running campuses and he knows the challenges we face as our enrollments continue to grow while state funding has not kept pace. Joe Garcia, Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, and I co-chaired the P-20 Council, so I know he has both a statewide perspective and a working knowledge of each institution’s unique role and mission and how we can work together to serve Colorado’s workforce needs. I am pleased that Joe Garcia was picked for this role, and I am excited for the future of higher education.”

Tim Foster, president of Mesa State College

“I believe Joe’s experience leading both CSU-Pueblo and Pikes Peak Community College gives him an appreciation of the importance of having accessible, affordable, high quality institutions in all regions of the state. His knowledge of state government and his collaborative nature are exactly what Colorado higher education needs today.”

Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System

“I am delighted that Gov.-elect Hickenlooper chose Lt. Gov.-elect Joe Garcia as the next Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. The Lieutenant Governor-elect brings a unique perspective to this job, having been the President at Pikes Peak Community College and the President of Colorado State University-Pueblo. He understands the needs of students in both the two-year and four-year colleges and has always placed the needs of students foremost in his decision-making. I look forward to working with Joe on important issues affecting Colorado higher education students, including transparency in transfer of courses between two-year and four-year colleges, affordability of higher education, and sustainability of higher education opportunities for Coloradans. I have known and worked with Joe for the last nine years and have a great deal of respect for his integrity and commitment to Colorado students.”

Jim Polsfut, chairman of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education

“In the past, the CCHE has worked extensively with Joe Garcia in his capacity as a campus CEO. I’m certainly looking forward to working with Joe Garcia in his new capacity, as Colorado faces the challenge of maintaining a high quality yet affordable system of public higher education in an environment of diminishing resources.”

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About the Colorado Department of Higher Education

The Department coordinates policy and state resources for the state’s 28

public institutions, its private not for profit colleges, and its proprietary colleges, trade schools,

and bible colleges. The Department of Higher Education oversees one major federal loan

program and a 529 investment plan. The Department is divided into seven divisions: Colorado

Commission on Higher Education, College Assist, CollegeInColorado.org, CollegeInvest,

Colorado Historical Society, Colorado GEAR UP, and Division of Private Occupational Schools.

About Partners for Colorado

Partners for Colorado is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation created to engage a diverse group of people from all over Colorado; ensure a smooth hand-off from the Ritter administration to the Hickenlooper administration; review the current performance, challenges and opportunities of each major area of state government and develop recommendations for improving practices within these areas; provide recommendations to the incoming administration for specific executive and legislative actions that can be pursued during the administration’s first 100 days; and recruit and evaluate candidates.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov.-Elect John Hickenlooper has tapped a Missourian, Tom Clements, to succeed Ari Zavaras at the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Clements directs the Division of Adult Institutions for the Missouri Department of Corrections. His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

The full press release is below.

Tom Clements named Executive Director of Department of Corrections

DENVER ­— Monday, Jan. 10, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Tom Clements will be Executive Director of the Department of Corrections.

Clements is now Director of the Division of Adult Institutions for the Missouri Department of Corrections. He has more than 31 years of professional corrections experience.

“Tom Clements has built a distinguished career working his up through the ranks in the Missouri corrections system,” Hickenlooper said. “He understands parole and probation programs and has extensive experience with community corrections. We are pleased he is bringing his expertise to Colorado.”

Clements has been in his current job since September 2007. He directs operations for Missouri’s 21 adult correctional institutions and overall management of 30,500 incarcerated offenders. He has served in statewide leadership roles within the adult probation and parole system and in Missouri’s adult correctional institutions system.

“With today’s economic challenges, it is more important than ever that correctional resources be used to produce positive and measurable public safety benefits now and into the future,” Clements said. “I look forward to working with the dedicated Department of Corrections staff, the Colorado Criminal Justice and Juvenile Justice Commission and communities across Colorado to seek new opportunities to meet current budget challenges and to make communities safer.”

Clements jointed the Missouri Department of Corrections in 1979. His first job was as a Probation and Parole Officer. He later worked as a Assistant District Supervisor – Division of Probation and Parole; as Regional Administrator – Division of Probation and Parole; as Chief State Supervisor, Acting – Division of Probation and Parole; and as Deputy Director – Division of Adult Institutions.

In his current role Clements supports safe prison operations and effective offender rehabilitation and re-entry practices and has established safe and constitutionally compliant policy and procedure to guide all aspects of institutional operations. He is an active member of the Missouri Re-entry Process Steering Team created by the Governor of Missouri.

Clements earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Mid-America Nazarene University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri.

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About the Department of Corrections

The Department operates 20 adult prisons and a youthful offender system. Through the 19 community and parole offices, corrections professionals supervise offenders reentering communities throughout the state. Offenders under DOC supervision participate in rehabilitative programming, including basic education, mental health and substance abuse treatment, life and work skills, and re-entry courses. The DOC management system is designed to assist offenders’ to successfully re-enter society.

About Partners for Colorado

Partners for Colorado is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation created to engage a diverse group of people from all over Colorado; ensure a smooth hand-off from the Ritter administration to the Hickenlooper administration; review the current performance, challenges and opportunities of each major area of state government and develop recommendations for improving practices within these areas; provide recommendations to the incoming administration for specific executive and legislative actions that can be pursued during the administration’s first 100 days; and recruit and evaluate candidates.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

The press office of outgoing Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter this morning released a number of reports and at least one video trumpeting the Democratic governor’s four years in office.

RITTER ADMINISTRATION FINISHES STRONG AS COLORADO’S STEWARD

Governor Releases Comprehensive Accomplishments Reports

Gov. Ritter leaves office Tuesday, Jan. 11, completing a historic four-year term of leading Colorado forward in the New Energy Economy, education reform, increasing access to healthcare and protecting the most vulnerable among us during difficult economic times.

As Colorado’s 41st governor – and the first Colorado-born governor in more than 35 years – Bill Ritter made bold advances in job-creation, education, energy, the environment, healthcare, transportation and smarter government. His vision, strategies and leadership will help transform Colorado and build a brighter future for our children, families, businesses and communities for years to come.

During his four-year term, Gov. Ritter visited every corner of Colorado, nearly all of Colorado’s 64 counties and made more than 300 trips to communities outside the metro area.

He signed 1,853 pieces of legislation into law, nominated more than 3,200 Coloradans to boards and commissions, appointed 112 judges, and issued 1,350 proclamations.

Click here to read a comprehensive report detailing the accomplishments of the Governor and his administration over the last four years.

Click here to read Gov. Ritter: “Colorado’s Steward,” a look at the Governor’s initiatives, with insights from stakeholder across the state. Click here to watch a video that accompanies the report.

Click here to read, A Blueprint for a New Energy Economy, a guide to how the Ritter administration created a clean-energy economy in Colorado and how other states and the nation can follow the same blueprint.

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Source: 9News

STATE BILL COLORADO

Outgoing Gov. Bill Ritter made headlines across the nation with his pardon of Joe Arridy, a low-IQ man convicted and executed for a Pueblo murder — a murder that the governor and others familiar with the case don’t think Arridy committed.

Here’s how news organizations covered the Arridy story and more than two dozen other pardons and commutations.

The Pueblo Chieftain: Gov. Bill Ritter granted a full and unconditional posthumous pardon Friday to Pueblo native Joe Arridy, who was convicted of killing a 15-year-old girl and was executed in 1939. Arridy, the son of illiterate Syrian immigrants, had spent 10 years at the Colorado Home for Mental Defectives in Grand Junction. He escaped with some other patients in 1936, and wandered around Northern Colorado and Wyoming.

State Bill Colorado: Joe Arridy’s execution became controversial as the subject of the book Deadly Innocence by Robert Perske. Perske is profiled here. Ritter said local attorney David A. Martinez brought the case to his attention.

9News: David Martinez didn’t count the hours. That wasn’t what the work was about. “It is about making a right out of a terrible wrong in our state’s history,” he said.

Associated Press: A mentally disabled man executed more than 70 years ago has been pardoned in Colorado.

Reuters: In pardoning Joe Arridy, Governor Bill Ritter called the case a “tragic conviction (based) on a false and coerced confession.”

The Denver Post: Among those who saw their sentences commuted were Jennifer Reali, who killed her then-boyfriend’s disabled wife in 1990, and Robert Willner, who fatally shot a man who was trying to repossess Willner’s truck on behalf of the lender. Ritter’s action could shave years off their prison time.

Colorado Springs Gazette: Jennifer Reali, who murdered her lover’s wife in an ambush killing outside a Colorado Springs community center in 1990, will have a shot at parole this year after Gov. Bill Ritter commuted her life sentence Friday. Reali, who otherwise would not have been eligible for parole until 2030, can apply for early release in June after serving 18 years of a life sentence for murdering Dianne Hood.

KOAA-TV: In 2010, News First 5 talked to Attorney General John Suthers about this case. He was the District Attorney who prosecuted the case. He told us Brian Hood was the, “mastermind behind the whole thing and I would not think it appropriate if he was out walking the streets while Jennifer Reali was still in prison.”

7News: Ritter gave clemency and commutations to seven people convicted of murder or homicide, four of those were juveniles at the time of their crimes.

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