October 15, 2010

Colorado State Board Of Education Vice Chairman Randy DeHoff Receives National Honor

Randy DeHoff, a longtime member of the Colorado State Board of Education, has been named as the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). The national award is given annually to a state board of education member in recognition of outstanding service to public education.

“Randy DeHoff has been a strong and visionary leader in the service of Colorado’s students and state boards everywhere,” said NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn. “In an era when the loudest voices often have the least to say, Randy has always provided thoughtful analysis to whatever it is that he is working on. We are proud to honor him not only for his years of service, but also for his dedication to improving education for all students in Colorado and nationwide as an active participant in NASBE study groups and on our Board of Directors.”

Added Colorado State Board of Education Chairman Bob Schaffer: “Serving on the Colorado State Board of Education with Randy DeHoff has been a sincere pleasure. Randy’s experience as a rocket scientist shows in the preparation and keen analysis he has brought to every issue and his passion for improving schools on behalf of all students has been evident in every discussion and every vote cast. Randy has offered a balanced, reasoned voice on the board for a dozen years and at the same time he has ensured that the Charter School Institute would grow from idea to reality and play a significant role in the education reform landscape in Colorado. His dedication has been tireless, his voice has been critical and his leadership will be missed. Thanks to the National Association of State Boards of Education for honoring Randy’s many important contributions.”

DeHoff has served on the Colorado State Board of Education from the state’s 6th Congressional District since 1999 and will complete his second term at the end of this year. He has served as chairman and vice chairman and has earned a reputation as a non-partisan defender of high quality public education. During his tenure on the state board, he has served as a regional representative on the NASBE board of directors, several NASBE study groups and represented NASBE on the steering committee to revise the standards for the 2004 NAEP Math Assessment.

After a career in the aerospace industry, DeHoff retired to take on another education challenge in 2005 as executive director of the Colorado Charter School Institute, which is responsible for deciding on the granting of charters for schools in districts that do not have exclusive chartering authority. Under his four years of leadership, CSI grew to oversee 18 schools with a combined enrollment of more than 6,500 students. Because of his support of the charter school model, the Colorado League of Charter Schools awarded DeHoff their Policymaker Charter Friend Award in 2002 and 2010.

The award was presented this week at NASBE’s national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.