U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement today on President Biden's intent to nominate LaWanda Toney for assistant secretary for communications and outreach at the U.S. Department of Education:

“I am heartened that the President has nominated LaWanda Toney as assistant secretary for communications and outreach at the U.S. Department of Education. LaWanda brings years of strategic messaging experience to this role, as well as a deep dedication to excellence and equity in education. LaWanda’s strong connections to our parent communities also will help to ensure that the Department’s communications and engagement continue to be informed by the lived experiences of parents and families across the country, who—particularly amid the pandemic—have raised their voices and demonstrated incredible advocacy for the education that their children need and deserve in order to thrive. I look forward to LaWanda’s swift confirmation and to welcoming her to the team at the Department.”

About LaWanda Toney

LaWanda Toney is the director of strategic communications at the National Parent Teacher Association (National PTA), whose mission is to empower families and communities to advocate for all children, and she has been a part of the association for over 12 years. She manages the National PTA’s communications team in the areas of web, social media, editorial, creative development, and media relations. Her work has received several awards from the Association of Media and Publishing and the Power of “A” Awards with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). LaWanda is also the co-host of National PTA’s podcast, Notes from the Backpack.

Prior to working at National PTA, LaWanda managed marketing programs, planned special events and created communications campaigns for major retailers, nonprofits, publishing, and advertising companies. LaWanda holds a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism from Howard University and a master of arts in strategic communication with an emphasis in public relations from Trinity University. She also is a member of ASAE and ColorComm, an organization for women of color in all areas of communications