Indiana's first secretary of education will be Holcomb adviser Katie Jenner - IndyStar

Katie Jenner will serve as Indiana's first secretary of education.

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the appointment Thursday. Jenner has been serving as Holcomb's senior education advisor for the last year.

“This is an incredibly important time for education in Indiana," Holcomb said in a news release. "Dr. Katie Jenner has focused her entire career on investing in students, teachers and staff, and she will continue to build the relationships needed to move our state forward in constructive ways."

Katie Jenner was named Indiana's first Secretary of Education on Nov. 19, 2020.

Jenner began her career as a career and technical education teacher in Kentucky in 2005, according to the news release. From 2009 to 2018, she worked for Madison Consolidated Schools in Indiana as a school administrator and district administrator. In 2018 she joined Ivy Tech Community College as vice president of K-12 initiatives and statewide partnerships.

This is the first time Indiana's top education official has been appointed, rather than elected. The Indiana General Assembly passed a law in 2017 to transition the position from elected to appointed, but set the transition date at 2025. After the current Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jennifer McCormick, announced she would not seek a second term, lawmakers accelerated the timeline to 2021.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to further serve the people of Indiana,” Jenner said in the news release. “My priorities are to ensure high quality education for all students and families, and to provide solution-focused support for our teachers and educational leaders. We have great opportunity ahead in Indiana, and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and work hand in hand with students, educators and stakeholder partners across the state.”

Jenner will lead the Indiana Department of Education and serve on the State Board of Education. According to the release, her top priorities will be supporting schools through the COVID-19 pandemic, making sure all students have a path to success, attracting more Hoosiers to the teaching profession and cultivating a "future-ready" education system.

Her term begins Jan. 11, 2021.

This story will be updated.

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.

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