Wake-Up Call: Rico Munn appointment no trial balloon

Okay, so Falcon Heene was never in the balloon. But why wasn't he in school yesterday? That's a question for Rico Munn, who's done good work during his two years as executive director of the Department of Regulatory Affairs, and yesterday was appointed by Governor Bill Ritter to head the...

By Patricia Calhoun

October 16, 2009

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Okay, so Falcon Heene was never in the balloon. But why wasn't he in school yesterday?

That's a question for Rico Munn, who's done good work during his two years as executive director of the Department of Regulatory Affairs, and yesterday was appointed by Governor Bill Ritter to head the Colorado Department of Higher Education. The education slot, vacated in August by former Congressman David Skaggs, is a good fit for Munn, a lawyer who served on the state Board of Education for five years, representing the 1st Congressional District. (I once moderated an education panel that included Munn, and he was definitely the best part of the program.)

"This is a crucial time for higher education, as we embark on a long-term master-planning process," Ritter said in making the announcement. "Rico's keen intellect and strong leadership skills make him an ideal advocate for higher education and a perfect fit for this new role." If Munn can rein in the wild array of professions and programs that fall under DORA, he should be able to get a handle on the myriad problems that face Colorado's educators, including fast-shrinking financial resources.

Now, if he can just find out why Falcon wasn't in school yesterday....

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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