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Editor-in-Chief, The Line by Frontline Education

Hanna Skandera's history of public service began in California, where she served as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Undersecretary for Education. Next, Skandera served in Florida as Governor Jeb Bush's Deputy Commissioner of Education. From 2007-2009, Hanna served as a senior policy advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Education to U.S. Secretary for Education Margaret Spellings. In 2010, Governor Susana Martinez nominated Hanna to lead New Mexico's Education system. In addition to implementing the Governor's initiatives for student success, Hanna co-chairs both the Governor's Children's Cabinet and Hunger Task Force, as well as serves as a board member for the Employability Partnership, the Educational Retirement Board, and the Workforce Development Board. Nationally, since moving to New Mexico, Hanna has been named Chair of Chiefs for Change (a coalition of state school chiefs and leaders who provide a strong voice for reform). She also serves as a board member of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, is a member of the Council of Chief State School Officers, and serves on the governing board and executive committee for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Immediately following her graduate work, Hanna became a Research Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. She also taught Education Policy at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Public Policy. Hanna received her M.P.P, specializing in American politics and international relations, from Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy and earned her bachelor's degree in business from Sonoma State University. She is a Fellow of the 10th class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.