Federal Updates

Bush selects Spellings as ED secretary

President Bush last week nominated Margaret Spellings to replace Rod Paige as the next secretary of education, just a few days after the White House announced that Paige was resigning from the Cabinet.

Spellings previously served as Bush's assistant to the president for domestic policy. She has advised Bush on education issues since he was the governor of Texas, and she previously served as the associate executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards.

Spellings was one of the authors of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and is expected to promote a theme of accountability at all education levels. Other than her expected emphasis on accountability, little else is known about Spellings' agenda for higher education as reauthorization continues to loom in the future.

The Senate is expected to confirm Spellings' appointment. If it does, she will assume the ED leadership role at the beginning of the next Bush term.

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EFC names new president

The Education Finance Council (EFC) has recently selected Kathleen Smith as its new president. EFC is a nonprofit trade association based in Washington, D.C., that represents state-based student loan secondary market organizations, including scholarship funding corporations throughout the country.

Smith is no stranger to working in prominent positions focused on shaping higher education policy. Since August 2001, she has worked on the staff of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where she provided leadership in the development of legislation centered on higher education. She also has experience with EFC, having served as its chief of staff and director of corporate communications from 1998 to 2001. Smith also has worked in various capacities at three other guaranty agencies, and as a former assistant director of financial aid at D'Youville College.

TG congratulates Smith on her appointment as EFC president. TG President and CEO Sue McMillin said, "We have a great deal of respect for Kathleen and her experience — she will serve EFC very well and we look forward to working with her."

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