Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has named a new interim secretary for higher education, as his appointee from six months ago goes on “extended personal leave.”
Danette Howard, the director of research analysis for the Maryland Higher Education Commission, has taken the reins from Elisabeth Sachs, who took the post in January.
“I’d like to thank Elisabeth for her service to the people of Maryland,” O’Malley said. “Her hard work and dedication have made her a true asset to our administration, and we wish her all the best in the future.”
Takirra Winfield, a spokeswoman for the governor, clarified that Sachs is “taking extended personal leave.”
Howard came to the state’s higher ed commission from Education Trust, a D.C. nonprofit that focuses on the achievement gap and low-income student populations.
She received her bachelor of arts degree (summa cum laude) from Howard University before earning a master’s from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Her doctorate comes courtesy of the University of Maryland, College Park.
O’Malley said Howard’s “strong belief in education and her many talents” will help the state prepare its students to be able-bodied citizens.
“The more a person learns, the more a person earns, and the more jobs we create,” he said. “To create new jobs, Maryland must continue to support higher education.”
