Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner speaks at the Dentons Legislative Conference on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
In his second round of leadership picks, Gov.-elect Mike Braun announced Thursday that he will retain Katie Jenner as Indiana’s education chief and appoint former state official David Adams as commerce secretary.
The announcement came a day after Braun, a Republican, confirmed his picks for the next state budget and transportation secretaries.
Jenner has been Indiana Secretary of Education since 2021. Braun praised her leadership to date, including her oversight of the state’s largest-ever investment in literacy, as well as her work “implementing a comprehensive teacher supply and demand marketplace, and increasing the statewide graduation rate.”
Jenner’s administration additionally launched Indiana’s Graduates Prepared to Succeed initiative, which aims to redefine how the state measures academic and student achievement.
Jenner was selected by Governor Eric Holcomb to take on the role after the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction was eliminated by the General Assembly. Jennifer McCormick — who ran as a Democrat against Braun in the 2024 gubernatorial race — was the last to hold that office.
“Dr. Jenner’s proven track record of improving Indiana’s education system makes her the ideal choice to continue leading our state’s academic initiatives,” Braun said in a news release Thursday. “Her focus on literacy, STEM education and workforce readiness aligns perfectly with our vision for Indiana’s future.”
The state’s top school official currently heads the Indiana Department of Education and chairs the State Board of Education. She previously served as Holcomb’s senior education advisor, vice president of K-12 initiatives and statewide partnerships at Ivy Tech Community College, and held several leadership positions at Madison Consolidated Schools in addition to her work as an educator.
Braun’s transition team said Jenner will focus on college and career readiness, improved literacy and math outcomes, universal school choice and an increase in teacher pay — all part of his new administration’s agenda.
“I am grateful to Governor-elect Braun for the opportunity to continue serving Indiana’s students, educators and families as Secretary of Education,” Jenner said in a statement. “In recent years, we have made significant progress in expanding educational opportunities and ensuring our students are prepared for success in the classroom and beyond. Working together with Governor-elect Braun, our dedicated teachers, school leaders, the General Assembly, and stakeholders across the state, we will build on this progress while meeting the changing needs of our education system. I look forward to continuing this critical mission in the years to come.”
David Adams, former commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. (Photo from Governor Eric Holcomb’s Flickr)
Additionally, Adams plans to become Indiana’s next Secretary of Commerce. He will be tasked with leading Indiana’s job creation and business growth initiatives. TThis includes “boosting economic opportunities for the state and fostering a business environment for innovation,” according to Braun’s transition team.
Adams, who previously served as the state’s workforce development commissioner, “brings extensive experience in economic development, innovation and business growth,” Braun’s team said.
“David’s proven track record of driving economic growth and innovation makes him the ideal choice to lead Indiana’s trade initiatives,” said Braun. “His experience developing workforces to drive economic growth, combined with his successful track record as an entrepreneur and ability to attract major investments, will help accelerate Indiana’s economic momentum.”
Adams was appointed to head the Department of Workforce Development in August 2022, but left eight months later. The release at the time did not say why he was leaving, but said he would instead join the Governor’s Staff Cabinet.
Braun highlighted that, under Adams’ leadership as workforce development commissioner, Indiana’s workforce ranking in CNBC’s “America’s Top States for Business” improved from 48th to 14th.
Previously, Adams led the turnaround and merger of Indiana’s nearly $50 billion pension systems under former Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Previously, he served as Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Cincinnati, where he led the development of the Cincinnati Innovation District, which Braun’s team said became Ohio’s model for economic development.
Adams was also a founding member of the leadership team at i2 Technologies, a software company specializing in supply chain management. The company was sold in 2010. He currently serves on the board of the Purdue Research Foundation and is a Forbes contributing writer.
“Newly elected Governor Braun’s vision for our state’s economic future is bold and I look forward to supporting it as Secretary of Commerce,” Adams said in a statement. “His business career gives him a unique perspective on workforce development and economic prosperity, and while we have great momentum as a state, there is still more work to be done. There is an opportunity for us to recruit and build talent, and I look forward to working with Governor-elect Braun and the General Assembly to take our state to new heights.”
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