RICHMOND, Va. — Anne Holton has resigned from her position as Virginia’s Secretary of Education.
She will now focus on her husband Tim Kaine’s campaign for Vice President of the United States.
Last week Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton selected Kaine, a U.S. Senator and former Governor of Virginia, as her running mate.
Holton, whose father Linwood Holton served as Governor of Virginia from 1970 to 1974, was named Virginia’s Secretary of Education in 2014.
“Anne has been a tireless advocate on behalf of the students of the Commonwealth and an essential leader in securing historic investments in public education during the most recent General Assembly session,” Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said in a statement. “During her tenure, Anne has been a constant and powerful voice for students, teachers and schools, and her lifelong dedication to serving Virginia’s young people, especially the children at the margins, has had a lasting impact in the Commonwealth.”
The governor credited Holton’s leadership for “substantial investments in K-12 and higher education, innovative SOL reform, and life-changing work in some of Virginia’s most challenged school divisions.”
Governor McAuliffe appointed Deputy Secretary of Education Dr. Dietra Trent to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Education.
“Dietra is goal-oriented and a natural problem-solver who is already a crucial member of our team, and I am excited to have her join my Cabinet,” Governor McAuliffe said.
Dr. Trent has served as the Deputy Secretary of Education since 2014. She previously served as Deputy Secretary of Education in Governor Tim Kaine’s administration, and as Director of Constituent Services and Director of the Council on Human Rights under Governor Mark Warner. Dr. Trent earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Hampton University, and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Commonwealth University.
