Northam appoints Frances Bradford as Secretary of Education

Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday appointed Fran Bradford as Secretary of Education. Bradford begins the role as former Secretary Atif Qarni accepts a position as managing director at Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia.

“Secretary Bradford has done tremendous work for Virginia’s higher education system, and I know she will continue to serve the Commonwealth well as our new Secretary of Education. I look forward to continuing to work with her on behalf of students, families, and teachers across Virginia,” Northam said.

Bradford has spent the past 30 years championing Virginia higher education through the state and federal legislative and policy processes. She previously served as Deputy Secretary of Education for Northam. She was at the College of William & Mary for 14 years, most recently serving as the Associate Vice President for Government Relations.

Before arriving at William & Mary, Bradford served in several communications and government relations roles at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia from 1990-2003. In the fall of 2005, she was called on to fill the position of Deputy Secretary of Education during the remaining months of Gov. Mark Warner’s term.

Qarni’s team worked with Northam to secure historic investments in education, establish tuition-free community college, and raise teacher pay by 10 percent.

“Former Secretary Qarni has served Virginia’s students well, and I am proud of the work we have done together to support public education and raise teacher pay,” Northam said. “I wish him the best of luck in his new role.”