Gov. Josh Shapiro last week nominated Dr. Carrie Rowe to become Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education and Jessica Shirley to become permanent Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), tapping a pair of administration officials to lead key agencies.

Rowe is currently deputy secretary for elementary and secondary education and has overseen efforts to expand career and technical training, direct record school funding, and improve infrastructure. If confirmed, she would be responsible for shaping policies that affect schools, workforce development, and future talent pipelines.

Shirley has served as acting DEP secretary since last year, leading efforts to modernize permitting processes, reduce backlogs, and launch an online permit tracker aimed at improving transparency.

Both nominations will require Senate approval.