Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera is stepping into one of the toughest jobs in state government, taking over leadership of the Behavioral Health Administration after Commissioner Dannette R. Smith abruptly announced she will retire effective Feb. 27, 2026. Her arrival comes as the young agency faces internal turmoil over workplace culture and the fallout from an outside investigation that found unprofessional conduct, all at an agency created to knit together Colorado’s sprawling mental health system.
Polis Administration Taps a Known Quantity
Gov. Jared Polis has asked Primavera to guide the Behavioral Health Administration, according to the Denver Business Journal. Smith’s retirement was first laid out in a Jan. 28 Cabinet Update from the governor, which said her last day would be Feb. 27, 2026, and noted that details about the search for a new commissioner would be released later. The update from the Colorado Governor's Office also thanked Smith for her service.
Staff Complaints and an Outside Probe
Current and former employees have painted a far less rosy picture of life inside the BHA. Reporting from The Denver Post describes workers alleging a chaotic, high-stress culture. A 24-page investigation by the firm Investigations Law Group concluded that some of Smith’s comments violated the department’s code of conduct, according to that report.
Staffers told The Denver Post that during a 2024 meeting, Smith used a metaphor about “cutting their throats,” language some in the room found threatening. Those accounts were circulating publicly as the governor’s office moved forward with the retirement announcement.
A Shaky Start for a New Agency
The Behavioral Health Administration is barely out of its startup phase. Created by the Legislature and officially launched in 2022, the agency is tasked with coordinating mental health and substance use services across Colorado, according to the Behavioral Health Administration website.
Leadership at the top has been anything but stable. Colorado removed the BHA’s first commissioner in 2023, and that former leader later filed a lawsuit. Smith only took the reins in early 2024, a rapid succession of chiefs chronicled by The Aspen Times. For an agency designed to be the statewide hub for behavioral health, the revolving door has not gone unnoticed by people watching from both inside and outside government.
What Primavera Brings
Primavera is not a newcomer to Colorado’s health policy battles. Now in her second term as lieutenant governor, she already oversees several health-focused efforts, including the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, according to the Colorado lieutenant governor's office. Her official biography notes previous work as CEO of Susan G. Komen Colorado along with multiple terms in the state Legislature.
Administration officials have pointed to that mix of advocacy, executive leadership and lawmaking experience as a reason she is suited to guide the Behavioral Health Administration’s priorities, at least while the state figures out its next permanent commissioner.
Reactions and What Comes Next
The Jan. 28 Cabinet Update from the Colorado Governor's Office says more information about a permanent commissioner will be shared as a formal search moves ahead. The statement praised Smith’s contributions, even as staff members and behavioral health advocates told The Denver Post they are looking to new leadership to steady morale and help retain workers.
For now, Primavera’s appointment keeps a familiar face from the governor’s inner circle at the helm of a troubled but crucial agency while Colorado tries to sort out both governance and staffing at the BHA.
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