Arkansas governor chosen as national nonprofit chair

A nationwide education nonprofit has picked Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to be its new chair.

The Education Commission of the States announced Hutchinson as its next chair in a news release Tuesday. The group provides support and resources to state-level lawmakers on education policy.

The organization said it chose Hutchinson because he is “a leader in computer science education,” and had previously chaired the National Governors Association where he led an effort for states to pledge they will expand funding for computer science programs. As governor, Hutchinson also signed legislation requiring that all high schools offer coding classes.

“It is an honor to have been selected as chairman of ECS,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “Arkansas has been a leader in education from computer science to pandemic learning, and I am excited for the opportunity to work with other leaders to secure our children’s future.”

Hutchinson’s time as chair of the education nonprofit will continue until July 2023, about seven months after he will leave office in January. Hutchinson will lead the nonprofit’s executive committee along with Nevada state Assemblyperson Brittney Miller, Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven and Jeremy Anderson, president of the Education Commission of the States.

“I am so pleased to welcome Gov. Hutchinson to our Executive Committee,” Anderson said in a statement. “His breadth of expertise and long career in state and federal government will be an asset to our team.”