The U.S. Department of Education announced new appointees to support the Trump Administration's educational initiatives, focused on returning education control to the states and reforming higher education.
Paul Moore will serve as Assistant General Counsel and Chief Investigative Counsel. Moore previously held a similar position during the first Trump administration, where he focused on investigations into foreign funding disclosure failures by U.S. colleges and universities. "Paul has also written extensively and provided Congressional testimony about protecting federal university research efforts from acquisition by adversarial entities," the announcement stated. Moore has a background with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Defense of Freedom Institute.
Benjamin May has been appointed as Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel. His career includes service as General Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General and various roles within the U.S. Department of Justice. May has also retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
Brandy Brown will assume the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, focusing on K-12 education. Brown served as Director of Strategic Communications at the Department of Homeland Security during the first Trump Administration and was recently part of the America First Policy Institute.
Sarah Wilson will join as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. She previously served in the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, leading initiatives on learning acceleration and college readiness.
Lauren McCarthy is welcomed as Senior Counsel within the Office of General Counsel. Her experience spans roles at the Republican National Committee and the Republican National Lawyers Association.
Michael Brickman returns to the Department as a Senior Advisor. His prior work at the Department included policy on accreditation, education partnerships, and initiatives like Executive Order 13932. Brickman most recently focused on state and federal education policy at the Cicero Institute and the American Enterprise Institute.
Noah Pollak joins as a Senior Advisor with experience advising conservative organizations in education and media. Pollak has been involved with Parents Defending Education and contributed to various conservative publications.
These new appointments reflect the continuation of efforts to shape education policy under the Trump Administration.
