Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on President Biden's Nomination of Danté Allen

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Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on President Biden's Nomination of Danté Allen

September 2, 2022

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement today on President Biden's intent to nominate Danté Allen as commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) at the U.S. Department of Education.

"Danté Allen is exactly the kind of visionary and inclusive leader we need serving as commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and I thank President Biden for nominating him. Mr. Allen's personal experience and impressive career empowering students with disabilities and their families reflect his deep belief that every individual with a disability needs to live with the economic security that comes from accessing an appropriate education that leads to a good job. Mr. Allen is eminently qualified to lead the Rehabilitation Services Administration and will be a welcome addition to our incredible team at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. I am hopeful the Senate will act quickly on Mr. Allen's confirmation, so that he can get to work advancing our efforts to provide children and adults with disabilities—and especially those in in our underserved communities—with access to the educational and training opportunities they need to lead healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives."

About Danté Allen

Danté Allen currently serves as the executive director for CalABLE, California's qualified Federal ABLE Act savings and investment program for people with disabilities. Mr. Allen has led CalABLE since its launch in 2018 and has grown the program's reach with more than 8,000 active accounts with nearly $80 million in assets under management. During its three years in operation, CalABLE has become the fastest growing ABLE program in the United States. Prior to joining CalABLE, Mr. Allen also has served as a communications leader in the public and private sectors—notably including positions for the California Department of Public Health's newly formed Office of Health Equity and Kaiser Permanente, where he served as the communications director for the organization's senior operations executive.

Born with spina bifida, and a fulltime wheelchair user, Mr. Allen is a staunch proponent of disability rights and equity. He has been a champion for the reduction of health/healthcare and financial disparities, especially among people of color and people with disabilities. He serves as a board member for Resources for Independent Living, Sacramento, a nonprofit that supports the needs of people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. He also has contributed in leadership roles in employee resource groups for people with disabilities throughout his career. Mr. Allen received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis and a master's degree at The University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism and Communication.