Among the many Education Department nominees waiting to be confirmed is one Frank Brogan, a man whose resume makes him a compelling match for the moment at hand. But he’s waited months to even make it out of committee.

The first member of his family to attend college, Brogan began his career as a fifth-grade teacher, then worked his way up through the ranks from assistant principal to principal to superintendent. By 1994, he was elected Florida’s commissioner of education, after which he was elected to serve as the Sunshine State’s lieutenant governor. Since leaving office, Brogan has served as a university president and as a chancellor of public universities in both Florida and Pennsylvania.