In July 2009, Democratic governor Bill Ritter named Marostica, a Republican, to the post of executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, replacing Don Elliman, who Ritter had tapped as Colorado's chief operating officer. Marostica resigned his House seat to take the position, and handed control of his development company to his partner and son in order to avoid conflicts of interest, Marostica named opening Asian markets to Colorado exports as a priority for his time in the new position, in addition to encouraging new venture capital investment and retaining existing major employers despite the late-2000s recession. Marostica was replaced in the House by small business owner Brian DelGrosso, and on the legislature's Joint Budget Committee by the more conservative Rep. Kent Lambert.