A businesswoman, education policy leader, and public servant, Secretary McMahon has decades of experience as a job creator and advocate for expanding educational opportunities. Born in North Carolina, Secretary McMahon graduated from East Carolina University in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in French. Before her appointment as Secretary of Education, McMahon served as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2017 to 2019 during President Trump’s first term. A longtime advocate for education and workforce development, Secretary McMahon has emphasized the importance of aligning education with economic opportunity. Secretary McMahon calls Connecticut home.