Jeffrey Andrade
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Innovation, Office of Postsecondary Education
Jeff Andrade comes to the Trump Administration with nearly 40 years of experience in federal education and workforce development policy in both the public and private sectors. Jeff began his professional career at the Department of Education as a career civil servant and quickly worked his way up from entry-level policy analyst to senior budget analyst responsible for student financial assistance. Later, on Capitol Hill, Jeff was a senior Republican staffer on the House Education and Workforce Committee, helping to successfully draft and negotiate reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act, Workforce Investment Act, and other important legislation for people with disabilities. He also drafted the landmark legislation that created the Federal government’s first performance-based organization, the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office.
A first-generation American originally from New Bedford, Massachusetts, Jeff was the first in his family to graduate from college. He financed his education through earnings from factory and other jobs and with help from Pell Grants, other federal student aid, and institutional scholarships. He holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in Political Science from The American University in Washington, D.C., and resides with family outside of Baltimore, Maryland.
James Bergeron
Deputy Under Secretary
James Bergeron recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Higher Education Resources. In this capacity, he provided day-to-day leadership, operational management, financial health, direction, and growth to the organization and assisted members in carrying out their public service missions to increase college access and success. Previously, James worked as the Director of Education and Human Services Policy for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce where he developed and managed the committee’s legislative agenda, including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. Before joining the committee, James served as Legislative Director for Rep. Buck McKeon where he was responsible for developing the legislative agenda within the House Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness around financial aid simplification and regulatory relief. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Murray Bessette
Senior Advisor, Office of Postsecondary Education
Murray Bessette was the Director of Academic Programs at the Alexander Hamilton Society and Senior Vice President of Education at the Common Sense Society, where he was responsible for its international fellowship programs and K-12 civics initiatives. Murray began his career at Morehead State University, where he was an associate professor of political science before joining the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation as director of academic programs. He received his Ph.D. and master’s from Claremont Graduate University, as well as an executive certificate in counter-terrorism studies from the International Institute for Counterterrorism at Reichman University (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel.
Madi Biedermann
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Communications and Outreach
Madi Biedermann is an experienced education policy and communications professional with experience spanning both federal and state government and policy advocacy organizations. She most recently worked as the Chief Operating Officer at P2 Public Affairs. Prior to that, she served as an Assistant Secretary of Education for Governor Glenn Youngkin and worked as a Special Assistant and Presidential Management Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget in the first Trump Administration. Madi received her bachelor’s degree and master of public administration from the University of Southern California.
Michael Brickman
Senior Advisor
Michael Brickman is returning to the Department of Education, where he previously led policies related to accreditation, distance and competency-based education, and employer-education partnerships. He also spearheaded interagency efforts such as Executive Order 13932, which replaced college degree requirements in federal hiring with a focus on skills and competencies. Mostly recently, Michael worked at the Cicero Institute, where he led the organization’s state-focused education and workforce reforms, and concurrently at the American Enterprise Institute, with a focus on federal education and workforce policy. He also advised companies, nonprofits, and investors on these topics. Previously, he has worked in a variety of government and private sector roles, including leading education policy for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, where he focused on school choice and creation of the first public, competency-based college credentials.
Brandy Brown
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Brandy Brown joins the Department as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for K-12 Education in the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs. She served in the first Trump Administration as Director of Strategic Communications at the Department of Homeland Security. Most recently, Brandy was the Senior Director for Government Affairs at America First Policy Institute, focusing her efforts on advancing the America First Agenda in Congress.
Brandy has wide ranging experience in public service as a long-time legislative aide in various roles in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Executive Office of the Florida Governor, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Brandy received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the Pennsylvania State University at University Park.
Lindsey Burke, Ph.D.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Programs
Lindsey Burke spent the last 17 years at the Heritage Foundation, where she was most recently Director of the Center for Education Policy and the Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Education. In that capacity, she oversaw Heritage’s preschool, K-12, and higher education policy and research. Lindsey’s scholarly research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Social Science Quarterly and Educational Research and Evaluation, and she has published hundreds of policy reports on a range of education issues and testified before Congress on numerous occasions. In 2021, Lindsey was tapped to join Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s transition steering committee and was appointed to serve on the Youngkin landing team for education. She was also appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve on the Board of Visitors for George Mason University.
Lindsey has served as a fellow at EdChoice, the namesake foundation of Milton and Rose Friedman, on the national advisory board of Learn4Life, a network of public charter schools serving opportunity youth, on the board of the Educational Freedom Institute, on the advisory board of the Independent Women’s Forum’s Education Freedom Center, and on the advisory board of the University of Austin’s Center for Education and Public Service. She holds a bachelor's degree in Politics from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, a master of teaching degree in Foreign Language Education from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D in Education Policy from George Mason University.
Andrew Cuff
Chief Speechwriter
Andrew Cuff is a former educator who has worked for the past decade in communications and policy. He earned a Ph.D. in History and taught at two universities before transitioning to a career in political consulting and policy advocacy. He most recently served as Senior Fellow at the America First Policy Institute, with a focus on higher education and workforce issues. Prior to that, he served as Communications Director at Beck & Stone. Andrew hails from Pennsylvania, where he won an election in 2022 to serve as a Republican Committee Member and was appointed by President Trump to a four-year term on the Commonwealth’s USCCR Advisory Committee. His wife Mary, a fellow academic and professor of literature, homeschools their five children.
Amber Mariano Davis
Policy Advisor, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development
Amber Mariano Davis joins the Department as a Policy Advisor in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. She brings extensive experience in education policy, legislative leadership, and advocacy. At 21, she made history as the youngest person ever elected to the Florida House of Representatives. She served three terms and chaired the Postsecondary and Lifelong Learning Subcommittee, championing policies to strengthen higher education, expand workforce development, and improve career pathways. Most recently, she served as Director of State Government Affairs at Code.org, leading nationwide efforts to expand computer science education. Davis remains committed to shaping policies that empower students, strengthen the workforce, and expand educational opportunity.
Jason Delisle
Chief Economist and Senior Adviser, Office of the Under Secretary
Jason Delisle is an expert in higher education finance and policy. He has held senior positions at several prestigious think tanks in Washington, D.C., including the American Enterprise Institute and the Urban Institute. Delisle’s work has focused on the federal student loan program, college enrollment and pricing, the for-profit higher education sector, and international higher education systems. He has testified before Congress and as an expert witness in federal court.
Delisle started his career on Capitol Hill, first in the office of former US Representative Thomas Petri (R-WI) and then as an analyst for the US Senate Committee on the Budget. Delisle holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Lawrence University and a Master of Public Policy from the George Washington University.
Hannah Ruth Earl
Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Hannah Ruth Earl is the former executive director of America’s Future, where she cultivated communities of freedom-minded young professionals and local leaders. She previously co-produced award-winning feature films as director of talent and creative development at the Moving Picture Institute. A native of Tennessee, she holds a master of arts in religion from Yale Divinity School.
Chase Forrester
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
Virginia “Chase” Forrester most recently served as the Chief Events Officer at America First Policy Institute, where she oversaw the planning and execution of 80+ high-profile events annually for AFPI’s 22 policy centers, featuring former Cabinet Officials and other distinguished speakers. Chase previously served as Operations Manager on the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign, where she spearheaded all event operations for the Vice President of the United States and the Second Family. Chase worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the Senate run-off races in Georgia and as a fundraiser for Members of Congress. Chase graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a double-minor in Spanish and legal studies.
Isaac Hampton
Special Assistant on Higher Education, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Isaac Hampton is a proud native of Missouri and a graduate of Truman State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics. At Truman, he served as College Republican Chairman from 2018 to 2019, and there wrote his capstone economics paper, “Determinants of Student Performance on Standardized Exams,” which highlighted the power of decentralized education systems and parental involvement in educational choices. Isaac has served as the Legislative Assistant for HD 130 in the Missouri House of Representatives, worked as a Series 7 and 63 Financial Representative, and most recently as the Regional Election Integrity Director for the Montana GOP during the 2024 election. He is excited to work for the President and the Department of Education to return educational decision-making to parents and local communities.
Julie Hartman
Senior Advisor, Office of Communications and Outreach
Julie is a broadcast host and writer. After discovering Dennis Prager's work in college, Julie became his intern and began appearing once-weekly on his nationally-syndicated radio show. In August 2021, Julie guest-hosted three-hour broadcasts of both The Dennis Prager Show and The Mike Gallagher Show, becoming the youngest person yet known to solo guest host a nationally syndicated radio or TV program. Julie was then hired by the Salem Media Group to co-host a show with Dennis Prager, Dennis & Julie, as well as host her own thrice-weekly show, Timeless with Julie Hartman. She also served as the standing guest host for all of Salem's nationally syndicated talk radio shows. Julie has appeared on international news, including SkyNews Australia, GB News, and Vox India; delivered speeches in Romania, Hungary, and England; and has written for The Wall Street Journal, The American Mind, and The Washington Examiner, among others. Julie graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 2022 with a B.A. in History.
Candice Jackson
Deputy General Counsel
Candice Jackson returns to the U.S. Department of Education to serve as Deputy General Counsel. Candice served in the first Trump Administration as Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, and Deputy General Counsel, from 2017-2021. For the last few years, Candice has practiced law in Washington State and California and consulted with groups and individuals challenging the harmful effects of the concept of "gender identity" in laws and policies in schools, employment, and public accommodations. Candice is mom to girl-boy twins Madelyn and Zachary, age 11.
Meir Katz
Senior Advisor, Office for Civil Rights
Meir Katz previously served as a Senior Counsel in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). He was tasked with tackling some of the most difficult questions of civil rights law and policy facing OCR. More recently, Meir served as an Administrative Appeals Judge on the Medicare Appeals Counsel, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issuing decisions on behalf of the Secretary of HHS and providing the final administrative review in many hundreds of Medicare claims appeals. Before entering federal service, Meir was Legal Counsel and the principal appellate and dispositive motions litigator for a private litigation firm, devoting over half his docket to the representation of victims of terrorism seeking redress from its sponsors, benefactors, and enablers, including sovereign foreign governments and global banking conglomerates. Meir delivered oral argument in numerous federal appeals and was the principal author of well over 100 appellate briefs. Meir is also a published author of five law review articles and a former teacher, having taught courses on the First Amendment and on the separation of powers enshrined in the federal Constitution. Meir received his J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.
Ellen Keast
Deputy Press Secretary
Ellen Keast is a communications and media relations professional who has worked on presidential, gubernatorial, and local campaigns. She most recently worked at DCI Group, a Washington D.C.-based public affairs company, where she advised on media strategy. Ellen graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.A. in History with double minors in Political Science and National Security Studies, and served as the Chair of Nebraska College Republicans.
Joshua Kleinfeld
Deputy General Counsel
Joshua Kleinfeld is the Allison & Dorothy Rouse Professor of Law and Director of the Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University’s Scalia School of Law. He writes and teaches about constitutional law, criminal law, and statutory interpretation, focusing in all fields on whether democratic ideals are realized in governmental practice. As a scholar and public intellectual, he has published work in the Harvard, Stanford, and University of Chicago Law Reviews, among other venues. As a practicing lawyer, he has clerked on the D.C. Circuit, Fourth Circuit, and Supreme Court of Israel, represented major corporations accused of billion-dollar wrongdoing, and, on a pro bono basis, represented children accused of homicide. As an academic, he was a tenured full professor at Northwestern Law School before lateraling to Scalia Law School. He holds a J.D. in law from Yale Law School, a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Goethe University of Frankfurt, and a B.A. in philosophy from Yale College.
Benjamin May
Deputy General Counsel
Benjamin joins the Department as a Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel. Previously, Benjamin served as the General Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General. His prior experience also includes positions at the U.S. Department of Justice, including in their Office of Legislative Affairs, the National Security Division, and the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division.
Benjamin retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Christopher J. McCaghren
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs, Office of Postsecondary Education
Dr. Chris McCaghren most recently served as the CEO of Higher Education Solutions, a full-service higher education consulting firm with a national presence, serving colleges and universities of all types. During the first Trump Administration, Dr. McCaghren served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs where he oversaw the distribution of more than $36 billion in pandemic relief funding to more than 5,100 institutions of higher education and their students.
Before being called to Washington, DC, he served as the Executive Vice President and Provost, as well as Professor of Higher Education Leadership and Policy, at the University of Mobile. Dr. McCaghren also served as Dean of the College of Education at Anderson University and as Assistant to the President for External Programs and Division Head for the Division of Career and Continuing Studies at Samford University. In addition, he served Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6, retired) and the great people of the state of Alabama as Special Assistant to the Congressman.
Dr. McCaghren holds a doctorate from Vanderbilt University in higher education leadership and policy, a master of theological studies from Beeson Divinity School, and a double major undergraduate degree in communication studies and classics from Samford University.
Lauren McCarthy
Senior Counsel
Lauren McCarthy joins the Department as a Senior Counsel in the Office of General Counsel. Previously, Lauren served as an Associate Counsel at the Republican National Committee, as Legislative Counsel to Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15), and as a Counsel at the Republican National Lawyers Association. Lauren’s career in Washington, D.C. began as a Legal Fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation.
During her final year of law school, Lauren taught “Law, Courts, and Politics” at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the Social Science and Policy Studies Department. Lauren received her B.A. From Assumption College in Worcester, MA, and earned her J.D. at the University of Massachusetts School of Law.
Nicholas “Nick” Moore
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Nick Moore most recently served as the director of the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation (GOEWT) under the leadership of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Moore focused on aligning Alabama’s education and workforce programs, implementing Alabama’s state longitudinal database system, establishing Alabama’s non-degree credential quality and transparency system, and curating a competency-based education and skills-based hiring system in Alabama. Under Nick’s leadership, the GOEWT worked to establish a learning and employment record, a skills-based job description generator, and a human-centered public workforce system designed to assist Alabamians with overcoming benefits cliffs and other barriers to entering the workforce. He served as a Teach for America corps member in Lowndes County, Alabama where he had the privilege of teaching secondary social studies, government, and economics at Central High School. After completing his tenure in Lowndes County, Nick received a Teach for America Capitol Hill Fellowship. During and after his fellowship, he covered education, health care, and workforce development in the Office of Representative Martha Roby (AL-02). Nick later served as Senator Luther Strange’s Legislative Assistant for healthcare, education, and labor.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a Master of Public Policy from Cornell University. Moore is a native of Enterprise, Alabama.
Paul Moore
Assistant General Counsel and Chief Investigative Counsel
Paul Moore served as Chief Investigative Counsel in the first Trump Administration where he led the Department’s investigations of massive foreign funding disclosure failures by many of America’s colleges and universities. Most recently, as a Senior Fellow in PSSI-Washington’s Economic and Financial Statecraft Program, he continued to expose the relationship between inadequate enforcement efforts and technology transfers between U.S. research universities and China, sometimes benefitting the People’s Liberation Army. Paul has also written extensively and provided Congressional testimony about protecting federal university research efforts from acquisition by adversarial entities.
Paul previously served for 12 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, including as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Senior Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy, and Counsel to the Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. He also served as Senior Counsel for the Defense of Freedom Institute where he assisted in opposing radical changes to Title IX and related programs.
Savannah Newhouse
Special Assistant, Office of Communications and Outreach
Savannah Newhouse will serve as Special Assistant in the Office of Communications and Outreach, bringing vast experience in press, digital, and broadcast media to the team. Savannah most recently served as Communications Director for Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn.) successful re-election campaign in Tennessee. Prior to that, she worked on Capitol Hill as both Senator Blackburn’s Press Secretary and Digital Director. She also served as Press Secretary on Senator Bill Hagerty’s (R-Tenn.) 2020 race. Savannah grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and holds a B.S. in Political Science from Belmont University.
Rachel Oglesby
Chief of Staff
Rachel Oglesby most recently served as America First Policy Institute’s Chief State Action Officer & Director, Center for the American Worker. In this role, she worked to advance policies that promote worker freedom, create opportunities outside of a four-year college degree, and provide workers with the necessary skills to succeed in the modern economy, as well as leading all of AFPI’s state policy development and advocacy work. She previously worked as Chief of Policy and Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Kristi Noem in South Dakota, overseeing the implementation of the Governor’s pro-freedom agenda across all policy areas and state government agencies. Oglesby holds a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University and earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Wake Forest University.
Jonathan Pidluzny
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Programs
Jonathan Pidluzny most recently served as Director of the Higher Education Reform Initiative at the America First Policy Institute. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Academic Affairs at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, where his work focused on academic freedom and general education. Jonathan began his career in higher education teaching political science at Morehead State University, where he was an associate professor, program coordinator, and faculty regent from 2017-2019. He received his Ph.D from Boston College and holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Alberta.
Noah Pollak
Senior Advisor
Noah Pollak joins the Department after several years working as an advisor to conservative organizations and foundations in the education, foreign policy, and media spaces, including Parents Defending Education and the Washington Free Beacon. Noah has written for several conservative publications and appears occasionally on Fox News and other shows and podcasts. He was a founding member of President Trump campaign's Jewish Voices for Trump.
Casey K. Sacks, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Advisor, Workforce and AI
Casey K. Sacks, Ph.D. is the President of BridgeValley Community and Technical College and founder of the WIN Academy Early College Charter High School in Charleston, WV. Sacks previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges at the U.S. Department of Education where she led work related to workforce development, career and technical education, adult education, and prison education. Sacks also served on the Board of Homebuilders International (HBI), the SkillPointe Foundation Board, Thomas Memorial Hospital Foundation Board, as a Commissioner with the Postsecondary Commission, on the WV CARES for Autism Board, and as a gubernatorial appointee to the WV State Workforce Board. She was an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow in the inaugural class and earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University.
David Samberg
Counsel, Office for Civil Rights
David Samberg is a Counsel in the Office for Civil Rights. He most recently served as an Investigative Counsel for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, with an education oversight portfolio. His work included the Committee investigation into antisemitism on college campuses, as well as Title VI and Title IX issues. He is a graduate of Davidson College, the London School of Economics, and the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Hayley Sanon
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Hayley Sanon most recently served as the K-12 Education Policy Advisor for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Previously, she was the Program Manager of the American Enterprise Institute’s Conservative Education Reform Network. She started her career in education as a 7th grade math teacher in Greensboro, NC. She holds an M. Ed. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science, with a minor in Education, from Duke University.
Steven Schaefer
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office for Civil Rights
Steven Schaefer is an attorney who served in the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where he conducted civil rights investigations and monitored civil rights compliance before and during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. He most recently worked as the Director of the Regulatory Transparency Project at the Federalist Society.
Steven began his career as a secondary social studies teacher in public schools, where he coached football, baseball, and women’s soccer. He also taught in Richards Bay, South Africa. While teaching, he earned his law degree at night from Wayne State University Law School. Steven holds his master’s in teaching and his bachelor’s degree in history from Michigan State University. He also holds a master’s degree in government from Hillsdale College.
Nicholas Stone
Special Assistant on K-12, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Nicholas Stone joins the Department of Education after most recently serving on the Trump-Vance 60th Presidential Inaugural Committee. He previously served as a Regional Field Director for the Trump campaign in his home state of New Hampshire during the First in the Nation Primary. Following this, he then served as the Political Field Director for the State of Maine. Nicholas graduated from Plymouth State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Nicholas has also contributed to his community by serving on the Claremont, N.H., School Board where he worked to improve educational quality and advance student success. In addition, he served on the Claremont Planning Board, focusing on efficient development and community planning.
Craig Trainor
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office for Civil Rights
Craig Trainor most recently served as Senior Special Counsel with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary under Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), where Mr. Trainor investigated and conducted oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice, including its Civil Rights Division, the FBI, the Biden-Harris White House, and the Intelligence Community for civil rights and liberties abuses. He also worked as primary counsel on the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government’s investigation into the suppression of free speech and antisemitic harassment on college and university campuses, resulting in the House passing the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023. Previously, he served as Senior Litigation Counsel with the America First Policy Institute under former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Of Counsel with the Fairness Center, and had his own civil rights and criminal defense law practice in New York City for over a decade. Upon graduating from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, he clerked for Chief Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Mr. Trainor is admitted to practice law in the state of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sarah Ursprung
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Sarah Ursprung is a seasoned government relations expert returning to the Department as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs. She served in the first Trump administration as a Policy Advisor. Prior to her appointment, she was the Director of Government Relations for Heritage Action for America. In this role, she established and directed federal government relations strategies for policies supported by 2.5 million grassroots activists. Previously, Sarah was a Policy Advisor at a law firm, where she managed client engagement with members of Congress. Her career includes roles such as a K-12 education consultant and managing a diverse policy portfolio for a member in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Steve Warzoha
White House Liaison
Steve Warzoha joins the U.S. Department of Education after most recently serving on the Trump-Vance Transition Team. A native of Greenwich, CT, he is a former local legislator who served on the Education Committee and as Vice Chairman of both the Budget Overview and Transportation Committees. He is also an elected leader of the Greenwich Republican Town Committee. Steve has run and served in senior positions on numerous local, state, and federal campaigns. Steve comes from a family of educators and public servants and is a proud product of Greenwich Public Schools and an Eagle Scout.
Tom Wheeler
Principal Deputy General Counsel
Tom Wheeler’s prior federal service includes as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, a Senior Advisor to the White House Federal Commission on School Safety, and as a Senior Advisor/Counsel to the Secretary of Education. He has also been asked to serve on many Boards and Commissions, including as Chair of the Hate Crimes Sub-Committee for the Federal Violent Crime Reduction Task Force, a member of the Department of Justice’s Regulatory Reform Task Force, and as an advisor to the White House Coronavirus Task Force, where he worked with the CDC and HHS to develop guidelines for the safe reopening of schools and guidelines for law enforcement and jails/prisons. Prior to rejoining the U.S. Department of Education, Tom was a partner at an AM-100 law firm, where he represented federal, state, and local public entities including educational institutions and law enforcement agencies in regulatory, administrative, trial, and appellate matters in local, state and federal venues. He is a frequent author and speaker in the areas of civil rights, free speech, and Constitutional issues, improving law enforcement, and school safety.
Sarah Wilson
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Sarah Wilson will serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Sarah most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Special Projects at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) in Columbus, Ohio. In previous roles at ODEW, she led Ohio’s learning acceleration and high dosage tutoring initiatives as well as statewide efforts focused on college and career readiness. Sarah began her career at Morehead State University where she served as the Director for Research, Service, and Policy for the School of Public Affairs. In that role, she managed several large-scale, education grant programs supporting K-12 students in the Appalachian region. Sarah holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from Morehead State University.