DES MOINES, IOWA — Ann Lebo is resigning her position as the Director of the Iowa Department of Education next month. Governor Reynolds announced today that Lebo submitted her resignation effective March 14th. That will mark three years and one day since Lebo took the job.

Governor Reynolds appointed Lebo on March 13th, 2020. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and before that as a principal in Grundy Center.

Lebo released a statement reading:

““It has been a tremendous honor to work alongside the dedicated team at the Department of Education and serve Iowa schools, administrators, educators, and students. The last three years have been some of the most challenging of my career, but also incredibly rewarding. I’m proud that Iowa was on the leading edge of prioritizing in-person learning throughout the pandemic and I’m thankful for Governor Reynolds’ leadership in that effort. Now, I’ve decided to explore new opportunities and I look forward to seeing where they lead.” 

Ann Lebo

Governor Reynolds released this statement on Lebo’s resignation:

“I want to thank Dr. Lebo for her many contributions to my administration and the Department of Education over the last three years. From her very first day on the job, Ann was immersed in the pandemic’s impact on education. She supported Iowa’s schools in their transition to remote learning during the spring of 2020 and developed our Return to Learn plan for the fall. I will be forever grateful for her leadership and student-centered approach during that challenging time, and I wish her much success.” 

Gov. Kim Reynolds