Northam Appoints New Education Secretary As Qarni Leaves For Temple University

VIRGINIA — Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni has stepped down from his position to become managing director of Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice in Philadelphia.

Gov. Ralph Northam appointed current deputy secretary Fran Bradford as his new secretary of education, the governor's office announced Tuesday afternoon. She will serve for the remainder of Northam’s term, which ends in mid-January when Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin is inaugurated.

Bradford previously worked at the College of William & Mary for fourteen 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 fall 2005, she filled the position of deputy secretary of education during the remaining months of Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's term.

Qarni was appointed in 2017 and has worked to establish tuition-free community college and raise teacher pay by 10 percent in the state.

“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 in a statement Tuesday.

The Hope Center at Temple in Philadelphia is a research center that seeks to transform higher education into a more effective, equitable and impactful sector using a combination of applied scientific research, technical assistance to colleges and universities, policy advising with state and federal governments, and strategic communications.

Northam's cabinet was the first in Virginia history to be majority-women, his office said. With Bradford's appointment, women now hold more than two-third of all cabinet-level positions.