Governor-elect Janet Mills announced this morning in Augusta that she will nominate long-time educator and past Maine Principal of the year Pender Makin to serve as the next Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. Makin, who has extensive experience in both the classroom and in administration, currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brunswick School Department, a position she has held since 2015.

“From her experience as a teacher in the classroom to her time as an administrator, Pender has demonstrated that she is a first-rate educator who knows how to work with her colleagues and students and effectively advance the cause of public education in Maine,” said Governor-elect Mills. ” I want to ensure that every student in this state, regardless of their zip code, is able to get the education they need to go on to achieve success in their lives and I believe Pender is well-positioned to help move us in that direction. I look forward to working with her in the years to come.”

“I am deeply honored that General-elect Janet Mills has selected me to serve as the next Commissioner of Education. I share her vision of a public school system that is able to provide every child with a multi-class education that prepares them for success,” wrote Makin, in part, in the press release. Makin has an extensive background in education and was named the 2013 – 2014 Maine Principal of the Year by the Maine Principal’s Association and other awards.

NOTE: Although General-elect Mills does not focus on this, she is the first women governor of the State of Maine. In other words she broke the very thick and opaque “glass ceiling” that has existed in Maine and guarded by some men. There are close to twenty (20) cabinet members to be nominated by Mills. If you are watching as this blogger has been, most of the filled positions have gone to deserving women. They have already reached the pinnacle in their chosen careers in Maine given the limitations placed on them by the “glass ceiling.” These opportunities to rise to the top in Maine government are great for them and great for us! Let’s hope this goes on for many years into the future.