DHE Leadership and Senior Staff
JB Holston,
Executive Director
JB Holston was appointed executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education by Governor Jared Polis, assuming the role on January 12, 2026, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate Education Committee on February 5, 2026.
Holston is a business, civic, and higher education leader with more than 30 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship, public policy media, and innovation.
Before joining the department, Holston served as dean of the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Denver, where he focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration. His career also includes senior leadership roles in the private sector, including executive positions at media and technology companies, as well as chief executive officer of the Greater Washington Partnership, a regional economic development organization.
In Colorado, Holston has been a key figure in the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He was the founding executive director of Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network and a co-founder of several civic initiatives, including the Colorado Media Project and the Colorado Mass Timber Coalition. His work has emphasized inclusive growth, innovation and talent development.
Holston holds a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.
For speaking engagements, please use the following condensed bio:
JB Holston is the executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a member of the governor’s cabinet. JB brings more than 30 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship, public policy media and innovation. Holston previously served as dean of the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Denver and has held senior executive roles in the private sector. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.
Dr. Tricia Johnson, Deputy Executive Director/ COO
Prior to joining the Department in 2023, Dr. Johnson served as Vice President, Westminster/North Metro and Vice President, Strategic Initiatives for Front Range Community College where she served as the chief operating officer for the Westminster Campus and chief of staff to the president. Before that, she was Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Community College of Aurora. Johnson has led programs in postsecondary education and training institutions in Colorado and Oklahoma, focusing on high quality teaching and learning and connection with workforce. Over the last two decades, Johnson has worked in education teaching, promoting, designing, and administering programs in secondary, postsecondary, and career and technical education. During her tenure, Johnson has served as a classroom teacher, community college department chair, research analyst, and marketing manager.
Johnson earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Denver, a Master of Education in Secondary Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Dr. Cynthia N. Armendariz, Deputy Chief Student Success and Academic Affairs Officer
Dr. Cynthia Armendariz serves as the Deputy Chief of Student Success and Academic Affairs Officer. She leads statewide efforts to expand access to higher education and support Colorado learners in reaching their postsecondary goals. With a strategic focus on equity, innovation, and student success, she oversees the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs that address critical learner needs and drive measurable outcomes.
Dr. Armendariz has over 20 years of experience in higher education, where she has developed and led initiatives that improve enrollment, persistence, and credential completion for historically underserved populations. Her leadership has helped position the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) as a model for closing educational attainment gaps.
She holds a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies with a concentration in Higher Education Leadership and Human Resources from Colorado State University, a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Angela P. Baier, CEO of College Assist and CollegeInvest
Since 2009, Baier has been responsible for managing Colorado’s 529 College Savings program representing more than $5 billion in assets under management and more than 330,000 families. In 2012, she was named CEO of CollegeInvest and of College Assist, a federal student loan Guaranty Agency representing more than $11.5 billion in student loans. Baier brings over 25 years of senior level management, business development, and marketing expertise to her position.
Baier’s diverse career consists of 20 years in nonprofit leadership, including serving as CEO of The New York State Zoo and as a vice president at the Denver Zoo. She served as a Hickenlooper mayoral appointee for the City & County of Denver – leading the first-ever city branding effort. She was the youngest department head in Best Western’s Corporate history, led the nation’s largest retail sponsorship program at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, was a national nonprofit liaison for the Walt Disney Company, and has been host of her own TV and radio shows – appearing with live animals.
Baier is very active in the Metro-Denver community, serving on the mayoral transition teams for both Mayor Hickenlooper and Mayor Hancock, and has served on a number of non-profit boards.
Baier earned her B.S. from the University of Kansas.
Lorna Candler, Chief Occupational Education Officer
Lorna Candler directs the seven-member governor-appointed Private Occupation Board and the Division of Private Occupational Schools (DPOS). Candler has been an attorney since 1994 and has served the state in various roles; most recently as an assistant Colorado attorney general advising DPOS (and other educational and healthcare agencies).
For the past 10 years, she has overseen the state authorization of both for-profit and non-profit private occupational education (both degree and certificate programs that are two years or less).
She has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Vermont and a juris doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law. Candler has served as present and vice president on the National Association of School Administrators & Supervisors of Private Schools (NASASPS) Board of Directors. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors since she was initially appointed in 2017.
Carl Einhaus, Chief Student Success and Academic Affairs Officer
Carl has worked in higher education for nearly 30 years – with 20 years in Colorado. He has worked at Colorado State University and the Colorado Community College System Office, as well as Western Michigan University and the University of Stony Brook. Carl’s experiences include student and residence life, student orientation, transfer policy, developmental educational policy, Title IX, disability services, admissions and enrollment management. In his previous role as Senior Director at the Department, Carl convened the statewide Admission, Registrar and Student Affairs Councils, supported the statewide Sexual Misconduct and Disability Services in Higher Education Advisory Boards, and was the Department’s program lead for the statewide Concurrent Enrollment initiative. He promotes student success strategies that focus on erasing the state’s equity gaps and works closely with the Colorado Department of Education’s (pre-K - 12) efforts in college and career planning and workforce alignment.
Dr. Sophia Laderman, Chief Policy and Research Officer
Dr. Sophia Laderman leads DHE’s data, research, and policy division, where she guides the development of a higher education policy and legislative agenda informed by robust research. In her role, Dr. Laderman is focused on identifying policy options to meet the Department’s goals, evaluating existing policies, and reporting on the progress and success of the Department’s strategies and policy initiatives.
Before joining the Department in 2023, Dr. Laderman was associate vice president at the State Higher Education Executive Officers association (SHEEO). In this role, she led SHEEO’s research and policy analysis related to state higher education finance. Prior to being named associate vice president, Dr. Laderman was a senior policy analyst and data analyst at SHEEO. She also previously worked in admissions at the University of Colorado Boulder and as a research coordinator at Duke University.
Dr. Laderman has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo, a masters in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, and a PhD in higher education from the University of Denver, where she was an NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellow.
Megan McDermott, Chief Communications
and Outreach Officer/ PIO
Megan McDermott is an award-winning communications strategist, bringing more than 20 years of experience helping organizations conceive and execute strategies to achieve their goals. In her role, she engages with key audiences to advance CDHE's mission, visibility, strategic goals, and communications objectives. She also manages two teams—communications, outreach, and community engagement – to inspire collaboration, garner resources, and leverage impact.
Before joining the Department in 2016, she was the Assistant Director of Communications at the Colorado Department of Education for nearly eight years where she developed and implemented strategic communications that advanced the department's efforts to increase educational achievement for all students. Before that, she was the Director of Communications for an international sorority where she managed the quarterly magazine and co-planned a national convention for 150,000+ members. Her professional experiences include expertise in education, nonprofit, tech, media, and government sectors.
She has served on several state-level committees and boards and as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Zimbabwe teaching English and working at an HIV/AIDS non-profit for more than two years. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in magazine journalism & communications, with a concentration in English from Drake University.
Dr. Gillian McKnight- Tutein, Chief Educational Impact Officer
Dr. G, (as students refer to her), believes that each student was born for greatness and that their potential is infinite. She has the audacity to believe that all students are equally capable and should have the same opportunities. Her goal as the Chief Educational Impact Officer is to act as an advocate for educational equity initiatives and systemic change at Colorado’s institutions of higher education (IHE) that result in better experiences and outcomes for historically underrepresented and marginalized students.
An award-winning educator, Dr. McKnight-Tutein has served in executive roles in academic and student affairs at Colorado Mesa University, Community College of Denver, and Front Range Community College. In over 15 years in higher education, Dr. G has focused her equity work in the areas of closing attainment gaps, access, concurrent enrollment, assessment, instructional design, curriculum, and funding.
Prior to higher education, Gillian was employed in industry at companies including Johnson and Johnson, Alamo, and Comcast, where she was focused on the training and education of employees and clients all over the world. She brings her corporate experiences to bear when talking to IHEs about industry, and when partnering with organizations that employ Colorado students.
Gillian is a first-generation high school and college graduate. She has four degrees including her doctorate in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University.
Rebecca Tyus, Chief Financial Officer
Rebecca serves as the Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the budget and accounting teams and fiscal policy for the Department. Prior to joining the Department, Rebecca was an analyst and manager at the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) where she oversaw the higher education and workforce portfolio for almost three years. In this role, she helped develop budgets for the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and History Colorado. Prior to joining OSPB, Rebecca's previous experience involved work on campus hazing prevention, labor policy, criminal justice issues, and working in Congressional offices.
Rebecca has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master's in public policy from Duke University.
Michael Vente, Deputy Chief Policy and Research Officer
Michael Vente works to harness connections between people, projects, programs, divisions, and organizations to ensure that CDHE is executing the right things. He examines and develops key performance indicators, finds efficiencies and/or opportunities for connection, and creates a roadmap to fix any problems.
He manages the research environment for CDHE as well as several specific research projects and reports related to student success. He also manages data governance activities by improving the quality and managing the protection of sensitive data and information assets.