As reported by the US Department of Education,

Joe Walsh, who joined the Department this spring, is the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for State and Local Engagement.  He leads the State and Local Public Engagement team, which includes intergovernmental affairs, rural outreach, staff in 10 regional offices throughout the U.S., and the agency’s signature recognition programs for schools and students.  He serves as a senior member of the Department’s Communications and Outreach team and advisor to Secretary Duncan, as well as an ambassador to elected and appointed officials at the state and local level.

Most recently, Joe worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on education as Deputy Director of U.S. Policy and Advocacy.  Previously, he spent more than a decade in leadership roles in state and local government, including serving in the cabinet of Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty as director of the state-level workforce development agency, and in the administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick as director of policy and planning for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. . .

And, the Department is pleased to announce this week that Lucy Johnson, former mayor of the City of Kyle, Texas, has joined the State and Local Engagement team and has been appointed to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach, the Department’s primary liaison to education stakeholders in rural and small communities and the organizations that represent them.

For more information, see the US Department of Education State and Local Engagement Office.