Arkansas Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Friday that she selected Florida official Jacob Oliva as her nominee for state secretary of education.
Sanders will also ask the Arkansas Board of Education to appoint Oliva, who currently serves as a senior chancellor in the Florida Education Department, to be the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
"I am proud to announce that Jacob Oliva will be my nominee for Secretary of @ArkansasEd," Sanders tweeted. "He is a leader who has proven himself in the fight to empower parents and implement bold education reforms under Governor @RonDeSantisFL and we are ready to transform Arkansas education."
"Education is the foundation for success, and, with my nominee for Secretary of Education and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jacob Oliva, we are ready to transform Arkansas education with bold reforms that will empower every kid to succeed," Sanders said in a statement.
"Jacob's proven success increasing student achievement and his experience serving in many educational roles will make him an asset to my administration. Through my Arkansas LEARNS plan, we will expand access to quality education for every kid growing up in our state, empower parents, not government bureaucrats, and prepare students for the workforce, not government dependency, so everyone has a shot at a better life right here in Arkansas."
Oliva said in a statement: "Governor-elect Sanders has the right vision to unleash Arkansas education, and I'm excited to get to work on day one to enact it. Education is the key to the future, creating opportunity for all, which is why I've spent my career implementing successful early learning programs, empowering parents with choices, and investing in career readiness.
"I am ready to continue that work here in Arkansas and look forward to working with Governor-elect Sanders to build a bright future for our students."