DES MOINES, Iowa — Only months after the last leader was appointed, someone new is taking control of the Iowa Department of Education.
Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed McKenzie Snow as the department's new director Thursday.
Snow, who is currently the Deputy Secretary of Education in Virginia, will begin on Monday, June 26, and will take over for Chad Aldis, who is resigning after his early March appointment due to "family reasons".
Reynolds said the three-month turnaround was needed, and that Snow will be the "right leader for this promising time" in Iowa's education.
"She has worked to expand career and technical education opportunities that empower students to earn a credential or credit, implement the Science of Reading to drive literacy, and promote transparency and student-centered funding," Reynolds said in a statement. "She will be a tremendous asset as we continue to expand opportunity in Iowa’s education system.”
Aldis will help until Friday, June 30.
Before her work in Virginia, Snow was the division director for academics with the New Hampshire Department of Education. She also worked at the U.S. Department of Education as a K-12 policy director and a policy advisor to the secretary, according to her LinkedIn.
With around a decade of experience working in federal education programs, the Kansas State University grad brings international experience to the table as well: Snow was a Fullbright grantee at the University of the Free State in South Africa and was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at Lund University in Sweden.
Snow called Reynolds an education champion and shared excitement about the position in a statement that reads in part:
“All children—regardless of their background or zip code—deserve a great education that inspires and prepares them for the future," Snow said. "Together, we will continue to build upon Iowa’s commitment to educational excellence for all children.”