The Prince William County School Board Announced on Wednesday that they have chosen LaTanya McDade as the school system’s new Superintendent following Dr. Steve Walts’s retirement at the end of the school year. The vote was an unanimous 8-0 in favor of the appointment.

With previous experience as a teacher and a principal, McDade currently serves as Chief Education Officer for Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, Illinois, and she previously served as Chief of Teaching and Learning.

“PWEA is excited to welcome LaTanya McDade, the next PWCS Superintendent,” said Maggie Hansford, a teacher who currently serves as head of the Prince William Education Association. “We look forward to building a successful partnership with Superintendent McDade, focused on enhancing student learning through collective Bargaining.

McDade holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Chicago State University as well as a master’s degree in leadership and administration from Loyola University. She will be the first Black person and the first woman to serve as the county’s superintendent.