[/media-credit]Peter Groff was announced today as the president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff was announced today as the new president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools — the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement.
“This is an exciting time for the charter sector, and I am excited to be here,” Groff said in a statement released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “We are poised to change the face of public education. As the organization continues its work to shape public opinion and influence policy on charter schools, I am committed to ensuring our voice will be a critical part of the education reform discussion.”
Groff was announced as the group’s leader on the final day of the 10th annual National Charter Schools Conference, which was held in Chicago and attracted more than 4,000 attendees.
Groff had been serving as the director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education. He was appointed to the position in the spring of 2009.
Prior to that, Groff had served for nine years in Colorado’s Senate, beginning in 2001, and was the 47th president of the Senate. He was the first African-American in Colorado to hold that post and only the third African-American in the nation’s history to hold the gavel as a state Senate president.
He could not be reached for comment today.
Groff has long been a champion for education reform, backing initiatives such as the “Innovation Schools Act of 2008″ that allows traditional Colorado schools the flexibility to operate more like charter schools.
Groff has “established himself as a champion of the charter movement in Colorado,” said Mashea Ashton, board chair of National Alliance for Public Charter Schools in a statement. “We know he will continue to do great things for children and their families nationwide.”
Groff also was founder and executive director of the University of Denver’s Center for New Politics and Policy (formerly Center for African American Policy). In addition to managing these centers, Groff was a senior lecturer in the University of Denver’s Institute for Public Policy, the editor of the center’s Web sites, and the co-host of a weekly radio show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s political channel, POTUS.
Groff has been recognized with various honors and awards, including being picked as a “person to watch in 2008” by BlackAmericaWeb.com.
Born in Chicago, Groff was raised in Denver and has degrees from the University of Redlands (Calif.) and the University of Denver College of Law. He is married to the Rev. Dr. Regina C. Groff, who is the former pastor of the historic Campbell Chapel AME Church in Denver. Both are parents to Malachi Charles and Moriah Cherie.