State Leadership Award

The CASB State Leadership Award is presented to an individual or individuals whose unique quality of leadership has made a dramatic and lasting impact on the future of education in the state of Colorado.

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2010 State Leadership Awardees

Jane Urschel, Ph.D., deputy executive director
Colorado Association of School Boards

A former teacher and board of education member, Dr. Jane Urschel joined CASB just before the 1994 legislative session. She came to CASB from the Education Commission of the States where she had been a policy analyst. Jane is the advocacy voice for CASB members with legislators and other state leaders. In the last 17 years, she has had as much impact on legislative policy in Colorado as anyone.

Dr. Urschel was elected to the Jefferson County School Board in the spring of 1989 and later served as its president. She has been an indefatigable champion for school board governance and excellence in Colorado’s system of education.

A confidant of leaders in both parties, Dr. Urschel has also been instrumental in killing her share of bad legislation and reshaping much of the major legislation that has been passed during her time at the Capitol. School choice, charter schools, educator effectiveness, student assessment and accreditation systems have all been the benefactor of the “Urschel touch.”

Dr. Jane Urschel has proved herself as a preeminent education leader in the state. CASB is a better organization because of her many talents and qualities, and we are honored to recognize her with a well-deserved State Leadership Award.

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John Hefty, executive director
Colorado Association of School Executives

John Hefty has spent nearly five decades as a teacher, principal, administrator and association leader in public education. John is retiring as executive director of CASE after taking the helm in June of 1994. His unswerving leadership and passion for making education and education leaders better has left an indelible mark on K-12 education in Colorado.

John has been a champion for some of the more challenging education issues in Colorado. Under his leadership, CASE was instrumental in leading the state through the process of approving Senate Bill 163, the state’s school accreditation system. He raised the issue of disparate accreditation/accountability systems and pushed for a solution. Legislation and efforts to modernize the data systems at CDE have been dependent on John’s leadership at CASE. He’s participated in everything that’s mattered.

Prior to joining CASE, John served as superintendent of Brighton Public Schools, superintendent of Eagle County Schools, and deputy superintendent in the Jefferson County school system. For 25 years he taught school administration courses at the University of Denver in the school executive preparation program. He recently began and will continue to provide leadership coaching for school administrators.

It’s a CASB privilege to recognize John Hefty with a 2010 State Leadership Award.