Elizabeth “Betsy” DeVos

Elizabeth "Betsy" DeVos served as the U. S. secretary of education for the Trump administration from 2017-2021. She was confirmed by the Senate by a 51–50 margin, the first time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by a vice president's tie-breaking vote

DeVos was born January 8, 1958, in Holland, Michigan. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics from Calvin College in 1979.

Prior to her confirmation as secretary of education, DeVos served as chairman of The Windquest Group, an enterprise and investment management firm founded by DeVos and her husband. She served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party four times from 1996-2000 and 2003-2005. From 2004-2010, she served on the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2010 she co-founded the American Federation for Children, a lobbying and advocacy organization in favor of school choice, and has sat on the boards of several school-choice advocacy organizations.

Sources:

Bauer, P. (n.d.). Betsy DeVos: American Stateswoman. In Britannica. Retrieved on May 14, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Betsy-DeVos.

U.S Department of Education (n.d.). Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education—Biography. Retrieved on May 14, 2020, from https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/devos.html?src=hp.