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CDE Offices and Key Contacts
Find the Right Contact
Expand the sections below to explore:
- CDE Offices – Learn about the roles and responsibilities of our teams and how they are organized.
- Key Contacts at CDE – Find direct contact information for specific staff managing our programs and services.
For additional information on how CDE is organized, see the About CDE page, the CDE staff directory, or contact us.
CDE OfficesMeet Our Teams:
Communications Division
Manages external and internal communications, media relations, website content and services, website accessibility, and translation services. Publicizes key department initiatives and engages with the public, educators, and stakeholders through newsletters and social media.
- Communications
- Language Services
- Web Management
District Operations Division
Manages funding and technical assistance for school facilities, provides financial oversight and auditing for school finance and grants, supports access to healthy meals for students through federal and state nutrition programs, and enforces safety regulations for student transportation vehicles and drivers.
- School Fiscal Supports
- School Operations (School Auditing)
- Student Nutrition
Pathways, Policy, & Partnerships Division
Supports educational and career pathways for students and adults and facilitates partnerships with schools, libraries, and communities. Makes recommendations on education policy and legislation.
- State Board Office
- Student Pathways
Strategy Division
Manages financial operations, procurement, and data management. Oversees budgeting, contract administration, grant processing, and strategic planning to ensure effective operations across the department.
- Accounting
- Budget
- Contracts & Procurement
- Grants Fiscal
- Information Management Services
- Strategic Recovery
Student Excellence Division
Supports assessments, accountability, student services, and school improvement. Facilitates state assessments, assists districts with school performance initiatives, and develops resources to improve student outcomes.
Talent Division
Supports the educator lifecycle, including licensing, career advancement, and professional growth, to strengthen Colorado’s educator workforce. HR manages internal staff recruitment, retention, and development, fostering a supportive work environment for CDE employees.
State Board of Education
The Colorado State Board of Education is the governing board of CDE.
Commissioner of Education
CDE is led by the Commissioner of Education, a position that is appointed by the State Board of Education.
Find a Contact:
- Access Learning and Literacy
- Accountability and Continuous Improvement
- Adult Education Initiatives
- Capital Construction
- Child Find
- Commissioner's Office
- Communications Division
- Concurrent Enrollment/ASCENT Technical Support
- District Operations
- Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement
- Educator Career Navigation
- Educator Development
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Enforcement
- Educator Licensing
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Recruitment and Retention
- Educator Talent Division
- Exceptional Student Services
- Expelled and At-Risk Student Services
- Facility Schools
- Federal Programs and Supports
- Field Services
- Foster Care Education
- Gifted Education
- Graduation Guidelines
- Grants Fiscal Management
- Grants Program Administration
- Health and Wellness
- Kindergarten School Readiness
- Migrant Education Program
- Nutrition
- Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
- Preschool Special Education
- Professional Development Initiatives
- READ Act
- School Finance
- School Health Professional Grant
- Schools of Choice
- Standards and Instructional Support
- State Board of Education
- Student Pathways
- Student Support Office
- Transportation
- Turnaround Support
- Work Based Learning
Access Learning and Literacy
Primary Contact:
Tanni Anthony
Director
[email protected]
303-503-4647
Secondary contact:
Berta Schlachet
Administrative Assistant III
[email protected]
720-557-2809
Accountability and Continuous Improvement
Primary Contact:
Lisa Medler
Executive Director
[email protected]
303-656-6619
Secondary contact:
April Thompson
AEC Consultant & ACI Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Adult Education Initiatives
Contact:
Allyson Garcia
Director
[email protected]
Capital Construction
Primary Contact:
Andy Stine
Director
[email protected]
303-866-6717
Secondary contact:
Dustin Guerin
Supervisor, Statewide Facility Assessment
[email protected]
720-595-1675
Child Find
Primary Contact:
Melissa Taucher
Child Find Specialist
[email protected]
720-822-6239
Secondary contact:
Heidi White
Director, Early Childhood Special Education
[email protected]
303-501-0837
Commissioner's Office
Contact:
Melissa York
Executive Assistant to the Commissioner
[email protected]
303-866-6646 (voicemail)
Communications Division
Primary Contact:
Emma Garrett-Nelson
Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]
720-788-1393
Primary Contact:
Jeremy Meyer
Director of Communications
[email protected]
720-668-6434
Concurrent Enrollment/ASCENT Technical Support
Contact:
Michelle Romero
Director of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
[email protected]
303-877-4155
District Operations
Contact:
Sheldon Rosenkrance
Chief District Operations Officer
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement
Primary Contact:
Johann Liljengren
Director
[email protected]
303-968-0201
Secondary Contact:
Tricia Walz
Program and Evaluation Assistant
[email protected]
720-241-8094
Educator Career Navigation
Primary Contact:
Jennifer O'Brien
Director, Educator Career Navigation
[email protected]
303-656-8596
Secondary Contact:
Travis Garoutte
Early Childhood Career Navigator
[email protected]
303-905-2814
Educator Development
Primary Contact:
Zarra Keith
Educator Development Specialist
[email protected]
720-484-0507
Secondary contact:
Trish Malik
Leadership Development Specialist
[email protected]
720-766-9302
Educator Effectiveness
Primary Contact:
Leslie Burkholder
Educator Effectiveness Manager
[email protected]
303-945-1997
Educator Enforcement
Primary Contact:
[email protected]
303-866-6966
Secondary contact:
Darrin Bacca
Director, eLicensing & Enforcement
[email protected]
303-866-6854
Educator Licensing
Primary Contact:
Robert Faris
Educator Licensing Supervisor
[email protected]
720-739-3304
Secondary contact:
Tanya Klein
Director, Educator Licensing
[email protected]
303-501-2192
Educator Preparation
Primary Contact:
Megan Lovinguth
Educator Preparation Manager
[email protected]
720-610-2781
Secondary contact:
Mandy Hansen
Educator Development Specialist
[email protected]
720-591-5819
Educator Recruitment and Retention
Primary Contact:
Travis Garoutte
Educator Workforce Development Manager
[email protected]
303-905-2814
Secondary contact:
Derrick Martin
Educatory Recruitment and Retention Specialist
[email protected]
720-456-9199
Educator Talent Division
Primary Contact:
Jake January
Educator Talent Director, Operations
[email protected]
720-666-0182
Secondary contact:
Jennifer Simons
Educator Talent Program Manager
[email protected]
720-670-2235
Exceptional Student Services
Primary Contact:
Dr. Paul Foster
Assistant Commissioner, ESSU
[email protected]
303-866-4093
Secondary contact:
Suzann Shotts
Program Associate
[email protected]
303-866-6124
Expelled and At-Risk Student Services
Primary Contact:
Amy Werpy
Grant Manager
[email protected]
720-470-7558
Secondary contact:
Adrienne Barlow
Grant Coordinator
[email protected]
303-552-1572
Facility Schools
Primary Contact:
Judy Stirman
Facility Schools
[email protected]
303-866-6684
Secondary contact:
Lori Kochevar
Online Systems Consultant
[email protected]
303-866-6799
Federal Programs and Supports
Primary Contact:
Nazanin (Nazie) Mohajeri-Nelson
Executive Director
[email protected]
720-626-3895
Secondary Contact:
Emily Owen
Program Support II
[email protected]
720-661-9065
Field Services
Primary Contact:
Christina Monaco
Executive Director
[email protected]
303-981-6513
Secondary contacts:
Zack Allen
Director of Rural Services
[email protected]
720-471-3425
TBD
Field Services Associate
Position currently vacant
Foster Care Education
Contact:
Jamie Burciaga
State Coordinator of Foster Care
[email protected]
303-518-5938
Gifted Education
Primary Contact:
Rebecca McKinney
Gifted Education Director
[email protected]
303-866-6652
Secondary contact:
Heather Baskin
Gifted Education Assistant Director
Phone: 720-557-4528
[email protected]
Graduation Guidelines
Contact:
Robin Russel
Manager
[email protected]
303-866-2908
Grants Fiscal Management
Primary Contact:
Jennifer Austin
Grants Fiscal Manager Supervisor
[email protected]
303-866-6689
Secondary contact:
Robert Hawkins
Grants Fiscal Analyst
[email protected]
303-866-6775
Grants Program Administration
Contact:
DeLilah Collins
Director
[email protected]
720-537-9882
Health and Wellness
Primary Contact:
Sarah Blumenthal
Director of Student Health Services Unit
[email protected]
303-866-6779
Secondary contact:
Peter Stevinson
Program Assistant
[email protected]
303-866-6867
Kindergarten School Readiness
Contact:
Megan Rogers
Kindergarten School Readiness Consultant
[email protected]
720-326-2880
Migrant Education Program
Contact:
Tomas Mejia
State Director
[email protected]
303-503-6869
Nutrition
Contact:
Brehan Riley
Director
[email protected]
303-866-6299
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
Primary Contact:
Michelle Romero
Director of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
[email protected]
303-877-4155
Secondary contact:
Alena Barczak
Program Associate
[email protected]
303-548-8427
Preschool Special Education
Primary Contact:
Heidi White
Director
[email protected]
303-866-6720
Secondary contact:
Suzy Shotts
Program Associate
[email protected]
303-866-6124
Professional Development Initiatives
Contact:
Lori Kochevar
Program Support
[email protected]
303-866-6799
READ Act
Contact:
Tammy Yetter
Read Act Implementation Manager
[email protected]
720-955-8055
School Finance
Contact:
Tim Kahle
School Finance Program Director
[email protected]
303-335-6991
School Health Professional Grant
Primary Contact:
Phyllis Reed
Director. Heath Education Services
[email protected]
303-866-6593
Secondary contact:
Kristi Elliott
Health Education Services Supervisor
[email protected]
303-968-5736
Schools of Choice
Primary Contact:
Bill Kottenstette
Executive Director
[email protected]
303-416-0372
Secondary contact:
Renee Martinez
Online & Blended Learning
[email protected]
720-765-6388
Standards and Instructional Support
Contact:
Shelly Ramos
Director, Office of Standards and Instructional Support
[email protected]
720-926-7097
State Board of Education
Primary Contact:
Angela Maramba
Director of State Board Relations
[email protected]
303-866-6809
Secondary Contact:
Michelle Crawford
Executive Assistant to the Director of State Board Relations
[email protected]
303-908-4580
Student Pathways
Contact:
Danielle Ongart
Assistant Commissioner, Student Pathways and Engagement
[email protected]
303-501-3968
Student Support Office
Primary Contact:
Dana Scott
Director
[email protected]
303-866-6791
Secondary contact:
Susanna Spear
Program Assistant
[email protected]
Transportation
Primary Contact:
Susan Miller
Transportation Supervisor
[email protected]
720-766-1416
Secondary contact:
Fred Stewart
Transportation Analyst
[email protected]
720-766-1415
Turnaround Support
Primary Contact:
Nicole Monet
Director, Office of Intensive Supports
[email protected]
720-737-2454
Secondary contact:
Nate Goss
School and District Accountability Manager
[email protected]
720-682-8535
Work Based Learning
Contact:
Robin Russel
Graduation Guidelines Manager
[email protected]
303-866-2908
Financial information on schools and districts throughout Colorado. Learn more about financial transparency.
Colorado Dept. of Education
201 East Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-866-6600
Contact CDE
CDE Hours
Mon to Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
See also Licensing Hours
UPDATED
February 25, 2025
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