Dan Baer, a former Obama administration diplomat who last year briefly ran as a Democrat for a Colorado congressional seat, was appointed Tuesday to be the next leader of the state Department of Higher Education.
“Dan has dedicated his career to public service and higher education, and has ample experience in both government and the private sector,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a written statement announcing the pick. “But it is the passion that he will bring to higher ed these last eight months that will make all the difference.”
Baer was the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from 2013 to 2017 and before that served as a deputy assistant U.S. secretary of state.
Baer spent about three months as a Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 7th Congressional District seat, currently held by U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arvada.
