Kendra Clay has been hired as the new Arkansas Department of Education's general counsel, Education Commissioner Johnny Key announced Tuesday.
Clay will transition to her new role July 1 and replaces Jeremy Lasiter, Department of Education spokesman Kimberly Friedman said in a statement.
As general counsel, Clay will oversee the Office of Legal Services and make sure the agency complies with federal and state legal requirements, Friedman said. The Office of Legal Services advises the commissioner and state Board of Education and manages litigation.
Clay has worked for the agency since 2010 as a staff attorney and led the legal office in several areas including charter school processes, the Freedom of Information Act and human resources issues. Prior to that, Clay practiced private law for two years.
The attorney graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with a bachelor's degree in international business and earned a juris doctor from Tulane University in New Orleans. Clay, a Conway native, now resides in Little Rock with her husband and son. The couple is expecting their second child.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.