Risse appointed to Education Commission of the States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 22, 2026
Media contact: Megan O’Rourke, director of communication, 208-429-5503, megan.orourke@cte.idaho.gov
Little appoints Risse to Education Commission of the States
Career technical education leader joins Idaho’s delegation to national education policy group
BOISE, Idaho — Gov. Brad Little has appointed Peter Risse, state administrator of the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education, to serve as a commissioner on the Education Commission of the States. The appointment is effective immediately. Risse joins the group of Idaho leaders who represent the state on the nonpartisan commission, bringing a career and technical education perspective to its work.
“Idaho’s economy runs on skilled workers, and career technical education is one of the best ways we prepare them,” Little said. “Peter has spent his career connecting education with the jobs employers need to fill. He’ll give career technical education a strong voice as states work together to prepare students for what comes next, and I know he’ll represent Idaho well.”
The Education Commission of the States was created by governors in 1965 so states could work together to improve education. Today it serves as an extended policy team for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. The organization tracks education policy, publishes research and offers nonpartisan counsel and expert testimony, covering everything from early learning to workforce development. Idaho takes part through the Interstate Compact for Education, which is written into state law.
Each member state has seven commissioners. They typically include the governor, legislators and other education leaders appointed by the governor. Commissioners serve as the link between their state and the commission. They help identify the education policy issues that shape the organization’s priorities, share its research with colleagues and lawmakers, and connect with commissioners in other states to compare what’s working. Commissioners also meet twice a year, at the Winter Commissioners’ Meeting and the National Forum on Education Policy.
“This appointment is a great opportunity to bring career technical education into the conversation about education in Idaho and nationally,” Risse said. “CTE is essential to the competitiveness of Idaho and the nation. I’m honored to represent our state on the commission. I look forward to learning from leaders across the country and bringing back ideas that help our students step confidently into good careers.”
Risse joins Idaho’s other commissioners: Gov. Brad Little; Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield; Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, chair of the Senate Education Committee; and Kurt Liebich, president of the Idaho State Board of Education. McKenzie Johnson, education policy adviser in the Office of the Governor, serves as Little’s proxy.
The Idaho State Board of Education named Risse state administrator in October 2025. He previously served as director for government and industry relations in the Office of the President at Boise State University, and before that as associate dean of the university’s Division of Extended Studies. Earlier, he directed the Chugiak-Eagle River Campus of the University of Alaska’s Community and Technical College, where he led training programs in fisheries, marine safety, oil and gas, and adult basic education. Risse holds a master’s degree in adult education from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
About the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education
The Idaho Division of Career Technical Education prepares Idaho’s youth and adults for high-skill, in-demand careers. We lead the state’s career technical education system, which reaches more than 130,000 students in middle schools, high schools and career technical centers, plus students at Idaho’s six technical colleges. Our programs span agriculture, business, engineering, family and consumer sciences, health professions and the skilled trades. We also support adult education and GED preparation, short-term workforce training, apprenticeships, fire service training and motorcycle safety courses. Working alongside schools, colleges and employers, we help Idahoans at every stage of life build skills that lead to good jobs and a strong state economy. Learn more at cte.idaho.gov.
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