News Release

 

April 23, 2007

Denver Public Schools Fills Gaps In Senior Team

Denver Public Schools (DPS) announces that the following positions have been filled:

"We have held vacancies for a long time to ensure that we found the right talent," said Denver Public Schools Superintendent, Michael Bennet. "This collection of people will round out our committed senior team."

 

DPS NAMES LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent, Michael Bennet is pleased to name former Group Vice President of Corporate Development for Level 3 Communications, Tom Boasberg, as the new Chief Operating Officer of Denver Public Schools.

Boasberg will take over from current Chief Operating Officer Andre Pettigrew who has already been working with Boasberg to ensure a smooth transition. "DPS is indebted to Andre Pettigrew for his leadership during his tenure and for the platform he has left," said Bennet.

Boasberg joins DPS with a wealth of professional accomplishments and eight years of senior management experience with Level 3 Communications - an international communications company that operates one of the largest Internet backbones in the world.

"Tom's extraordinary accomplishments speak for themselves," Bennet said. "We are proud of his willingness to give up a leadership role at Level 3 to help us meet the challenge of creating a world-class operations system."

Boasberg began his career with Level 3 Communications in 1999 in Hong Kong and worked as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and Head of the Asian Lines of Business. Most recently, Boasberg served as Group Vice President for Corporate Development where he was responsible for overseeing mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and complex transactions.

"While I'm sorry to lose an executive of the caliber of Tom Boasberg, it is particularly gratifying to see the path that he has chosen," said James Q. Crowe, CEO of Level 3 Communications, Inc. "With his intellectual depth, his extraordinary work ethic and his passion for public service, I know that he will make an important contribution to the Denver Public School system. All of his friends at Level 3 wish Tom the best of luck."

Prior to Level 3 Communications, Boasberg served as legal advisor to Reed Hundt, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and as Chief of Staff to Martin Lee, Chairman of Hong Kong's largest political party. He also taught English in Hong Kong's public schools and played semi-professional basketball in the Hong Kong Basketball Association.

As Chief Operating Officer, Boasberg will lend his impressive management expertise to some of the district's largest departments, including human resources, technology, safety and security, payroll, food service, transportation, facilities management, purchasing, and athletics.

"I am excited to join Michael, Jaime, and the DPS team and am inspired by their vision to make DPS this country's finest big-city school district," said Boasberg. "First-class operational capabilities are critical to support that mission, and I look forward to aligning DPS operations to student achievement."

 

MLK PRINCIPAL, MICHAEL GAITHER TO FOCUS ON DPS SECONDARY SCHOOL REFORM

DPS is pleased to announce that respected Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Early College Principal, Michael Gaither, will be part of a team being assembled to focus on secondary school reform efforts in DPS.

Gaither will be part of a team that takes a long, overdue look at education delivered at the middle school and high school levels. The secondary reform team will develop and implement a comprehensive Denver Public Schools Secondary School Reform Plan that is aligned with the district's strategic direction as outlined in the Denver Plan. In addition, the team will conceive of and advocate for best practice secondary school reform practices, recruit and mentor secondary school leaders, and support current and future reform efforts and help identify the resources to fund them.

"Michael has been able to take MLK to places some people never dreamed it could go." DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet said. "He's someone that everyone in this district can learn from and his expertise lends itself perfectly to our secondary school reform team."

During his three years as principal of MLK, Gaither transformed this traditional 6-8 middle school into a 6-12 early college model that is now preparing to graduate its first high school class in the year 2010. He assembled a team of educational professionals who care deeply about their students, promote a culture of high expectations, and maintain a safe and orderly environment where learning potential is maximized and students are motivated to learn. MLK posted significant CSAP achievements last spring and positive results are expected again this year.

"It will be difficult to say goodbye." Gaither said. "When a leader leads, if he looks behind him and everyone is going the opposite direction, then he's not a very good leader. When I look behind me, I see enthusiasm. I am grateful that the Early College community responded so positively to my leadership and I am confident that the vision of increased student achievement for all students will survive me."

After five years as an instructional leader in DPS, Gaither feels ready for a new challenge.

"I am ready to take the significant experience gained from my years as a principal and apply that experience more broadly in educational leadership and other arenas." Gaither said.

Gaither has spent 12 years in the field of education as both a classroom and building leader. He has worked for years in hard to serve schools, helping students and their families find the resources they need to be successful inside and outside of his buildings. By working in collaboration with members of the community, professional partners and parents Gaither has successfully created plans for achieving the school and district vision.

 

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Denver Public Schools (DPS) names Alex Sanchez as the new Director of Communications. Sanchez joins DPS with an impressive record of accomplishments in the private and public sectors.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Latin American Research and Service Agency and on Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's Latino Advisory Council and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Commission. A native Spanish speaker, Sanchez has proven invaluable to a number of Colorado community organizations in their advocacy efforts.

"Alex will be an asset to the team," said Sarah Hughes, DPS Chief of Staff. "His long-term advocacy efforts on behalf of nonprofits in the community and his experience in public and media relations will enable him to grow our communications office beyond what a typical school district communications office is and can offer."

Sanchez comes to DPS after spending three years with Pfizer, Inc. As a Professional Healthcare Representative, Sanchez generated brand and company awareness, grew business partnerships, conducted educational and promotional programs, and served as a liaison to communities of color in Colorado.

"Since I am the first member in my family to go to college, I am passionate about education," Sanchez said. "The opportunity to work with Denver Public Schools will allow me to combine my experiences from corporate America and my passion for civic engagement to better serve the Denver community."

A native of California, Sanchez grew up near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and graduated from Colorado State University.

 

KEN SANTISTEVAN TO JOIN DPS COMMUNITY RELATIONS EFFORTS

Denver Public Schools (DPS) announces that former Denver Center for Performing Arts (DCPA) Public Affairs Director, Ken Santistevan, will join its community relations team.

Santistevan helmed the DCPA Public Affairs office for nearly a decade, directing its Community Relations and Government Affairs efforts locally, statewide, regionally and nationally.

"We have dramatically stepped up our community relations efforts over the past year," said Happy Haynes, Assistant to the Superintendent for Community Partnerships. "Ken will increase our capacity and expertise, allowing us to engage more members of our community in a meaningful way."

In addition to his work with the DCPA, Santistevan is active in the Denver community. He has been volunteering with the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Chamber Education Foundation for over 17 years. He is a member of the Denver Public Schools Business Advisory Committee, Chaired the Hispanic Chamber Education Foundation and served on the boards of the Colorado Business Council, and the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He's currently serving on Mayor Hickenlooper's Denver Office of Cultural Affairs Commission and the Infrastructure Priorities Task Force. Santistevan also sits on the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation board.

"As a parent of DPS students, helping shape the future of DPS and engaging other parents and community members in that effort, might just be some of the most important work I've done yet," said Santistevan.

Santistevan has spent his entire career in public service. Prior to his work with the DCPA, he worked in Governor Romer's Colorado Minority Business Office, the Denver Housing Authority and the Denver District Attorney's Office.

Santistevan will be instrumental in conducting community meetings for DPS this summer.

 

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