Katy Anthes, the Colorado Department of Education’s widely respected chief of staff, was tapped Friday to temporarily lead the state agency after former Commissioner Rich Crandall’s surprise resignation a day earlier.
The State Board of Education, which met by teleconference, unanimously appointed Anthes as interim commissioner at an emergency meeting. The board also formally accepted Crandall’s resignation after initially meeting in closed session.
Anthes’ appointment represents an about-face for her. On Monday, she wrote to colleagues that she was leaving the agency after five years, joining other top staff who have announced departures recently.
Speaking to reporters after her appointment, Anthes described her earlier resignation announcement as a “personal decision” and did not elaborate. She pledged she was ready to get to work and that the department would not skip a beat.
“I’m really honored and excited the board has the confidence in me to lead the department through this transition,” she said. “So I’m excited to get to work on this transition on Monday.”
State officials on Friday didn’t release details of Crandall’s separation agreement, saying it would be made available after state board chairman Steve Durham and a representative from the state controller’s office signed the paperwork.
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