Glenna Norvelle resigns from CEI

June 8, 2016

Announcement from Glenna Norvelle

One of the most extraordinary things in life is to learn. Oftentimes we collapse the idea of learning with education. Learning happens everywhere — in schools, out of school, as children, as adults, from our challenges, and from our successes.

And so, it is with a bit of sadness that I share I am leaving CEI at the end of this month to put myself into the space of learning full time. I am taking a long-planned (but delayed) sabbatical to reflect on my journey to this point, the concept of leadership, and what’s next in terms of where I can make my biggest contribution.

I find the richest source for learning is through personal interaction. And I have had the enormous pleasure over the last 17 months to interact with some of the best and brightest — with people who have committed themselves to both learning and education, and the notion that the two together provide our children a foundation from which to reach their full potential.

I have had the honor of leading this organization that is committed to providing a space for educators to learn and to grow. This is one of the principles I love most about CEI — the belief that we as adults are also lifelong learners and in order for our children to succeed, we must be willing to be on a learning journey with them. It is not something we do to them.

CEI is strong. We are aligned on a compelling vision and mission. We are a leader in Colorado in accelerating educational improvement and innovation. We have an incredibly competent and committed staff team and a network of partners who will continue to advance this mission. And we are well positioned to continue our work during this leadership transition and beyond.

I look forward to being one of CEI’s biggest champions and to connecting with the 450-plus educators from across Colorado who will participate in the 2016 CEI Showcase next week in Snowmass Village. And for others, I trust that our paths will cross again.

Glenna Norvelle
President and CEO

From Board of Trustees Chair Monica Skok

We are grateful to Glenna for her passion and guidance during the past 17 months. She’s right — Glenna is one of CEI’s greatest champions. Under her leadership, CEI has streamlined its vision and mission and identified a robust strategy to invest in schools and districts, launch innovations, and build strategic partnerships to create broader impact in Colorado public education.

All of us are focused on CEI’s mission of accelerating educational improvement and innovation across Colorado. It is the board’s priority to identify the next president and CEO with the distinct skill set who can build on that mission and successfully navigate the changing and complex public education landscape. We will be beginning a search and look forward to posting the position very soon.

During this transition, Chief Financial Officer Sandy Sales will assume responsibility for CEI’s day-to-day operations and will work closely with Glenna, the board, and CEI’s staff leadership team to ensure a seamless transition. Sandy is a strong and trusted leader. With more than 20 years of finance and management experience, she is uniquely well-position to lead CEI during this transition.

CEI also has an exceptionally strong staff leadership team and a cadre of education experts — led by Yee-Ann Cho, Samantha Olson, and Alex Carter — who will continue to advance the important work of CEI’s initiatives across Colorado.

We appreciate our funders and other partners who invest in CEI and who continue to support the important role we play in students’ and educators’ lives. We are looking forward to connecting with many of you at next week’s 2016 CEI Showcase and being there to support Glenna and the CEI team.

Monica Skok
Chair, Board of Trustees