Rico Munn named sole finalist for CSU System Chancellor

“In Rico Munn, we have a proven leader, committed to the CSU System, who also brings a strong statewide network and experience at all levels of government relations,” Board Chair John Fischer said. “Given the importance of this role and our confidence that he is enormously qualified to take it on, we have moved forward with our selection of the next chancellor of the Colorado State University System.”

In accordance with Colorado law, there is a mandatory 14-day notice and waiting period following the announcement of a finalist before the Board of Governors can enter into an employment agreement.

The position of chancellor works closely with the Board of Governors on overall leadership and management of the CSU System, based in Denver, while also spearheading government relations on behalf of the System and its campuses. Current Chancellor Tony Frank has announced he’ll retire June 30, 2027.

“I am grateful and honored to be considered for this role, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness the board has put into the succession planning process, one focused on maintaining stability while setting the table for future innovation” Munn said. “I’ve served in various leadership roles with the CSU System for more than a dozen years, and I am deeply committed to fulfilling its mission, championing its students, and supporting the faculty and staff who make this a world-class higher-education system.”

A longtime Colorado education leader, Munn is currently CSU’s vice president for Metro Denver Engagement and Strategy, having recently concluded a nearly yearlong tenure as interim president of the CSU Pueblo campus. Previously, he served as superintendent of Aurora Public Schools from 2013 to 2023, during which the district eliminated graduation equity gaps and saw a 25% overall increase in graduation rates, a 50% decline in dropout rates, a 70% decline in expulsions, and an overall increase in academic achievement and college readiness. In 2019, he was named Colorado’s “Superintendent of the Year” and Aurora’s “Man of the Year.”

Earlier, he was the executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education from 2009-2011 and executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies from 2007-2009, where he oversaw the Colorado divisions of Civil Rights, Banking, Real Estate, Insurance, Financial Services, Securities, Professional Licensure, Public Utilities, and Consumer Counsel. He also spent more than a decade as a litigator and trial attorney with a national law firm and served for a time as chief of staff to CSU President Parsons.

Mr. Munn is active in the Metro Denver area’s non-profit community. He served on the board of The Denver Foundation and was a co-founder of the Denver Urban Debate League. He was the principal author of the Denver Police Department’s first-ever policy against “Biased Policing.”

In addition, he was a founding board member for the San Francisco-based Center for Justice and Accountability and spent many years volunteering in the international human rights community with Amnesty International, where he served in national and international leadership roles including representation of the organization in Los Angeles; Cape Town, South Africa; and Santiago, Chile.

He is a graduate of Midland Lutheran College (now Midland University) in Fremont, Nebraska, where he received his B.A. in secondary education and was named Student Teacher of the Year in 1993. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, where he had the honor of being named a Chancellor’s Scholar for his commitment to public interest service.
He was also formerly chair of the CSU System Board of Governors, on which he served for six years after being appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper in 2013.

This appointment followed an internal search by the Board that was open to current employees of the CSU System. “The role of chancellor in the CSU System is, by design, primarily focused on government and Board relations and relies significantly on knowledge of Colorado and a strong statewide network,” Fischer said. “We chose an internal search from a full menu of options to ensure continuity in key relations at a time when funding challenges are at the forefront, to maintain momentum around critical objectives, and to build on the progress already underway while still bringing new energy and vision to the role.”

“We find it highly unlikely we would identify another candidate whose experience includes serving as the state’s top higher education officer, a longtime superintendent of one of the state’s largest and most diverse school districts, past chair of a governing board of a public university system, interim president of a public university campus, and chief of staff at an R1 university campus – all on top of a successful legal career,” Fischer said. “We strongly believe Mr. Munn’s qualifications, passion for higher education, and demonstrated commitment to our shared values can help us write an outstanding next chapter for the Colorado State University System.”