Photo by: The US Department of State

Colorado senate President and DU professor Peter Groff announced that he will accept an appointment to the U.S. Department of Education as director for the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center last week.

“It is an honor to be appointed to this position within the Department of Education,” Groff said in a statement released to the press. “I look forward to working with Secretary Duncan to address the challenges facing schools across our great nation.”

Groff will be responsible for organizing and community and faith-based groups to help execute the Department of Education’s mission to ensure that all Americans have equal access to a high quality education.

“My focus will be increasing community involvement in schools to help foster a culture of excellence for all of our children- no matter where they live,” Groff said in his statement.

Groff said that he will leave Colorado for Washington at the close of the 2009 legislative session, which wraps up on May 6.

Gov. Bill Ritter said that while he is sure that Groff will be an asset to the Obama administration and the Department of Education, his contribution to Colorado will be missed.

“Sen. Groff is a man of faith and I believe President Obama and Secretary Duncan made a great choice. While I consider him a great partner in the legislature, I know this is a wonderful opportunity for him and his family, and I wish them the best. While this new opportunity is a tremendous gain for Washington, D.C., it is a big loss for Colorado,” Ritter said in a statement.

Groff was the first African American president of the Colorado Senate and also works as a senior lecturer at the Institute for Public Policy and executive director for the Center for African American Policy and Center for New Policy.

At this point, DU has no announcement about the future of Groff’s position or the Center for African American studies because the information of Groff’s appointment was so recently released, according to Jim Berscheidt, a spokesman for the university.

Berscheidt added, “It is something the provost is working on.”

“The university congratulates Peter Groff on this appointment to the position in Washington and wishes him well in his division,” Berscheidt said.

In his statement Groff said that although to leave Colorado would be hard, he looked forward to the challenge ahead.

“It has been an honor serving the great state of Colorado and its people. I will miss my colleagues and friends in Colorado, but look forward to this new chapter of public service,” Groff said.

In addition to teaching, Groff co-hosts and produces a talk show on XM Satellite Radio that focuses on politics and public policy called “The New School.”

While a member of the Colorado senate Groff served as Chairman of the State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.