DOVER— Governor Matt Meyer today announced the nomination of Jon Sheehan to serve as the next President of the Delaware State Board of Education, elevating a lifelong public servant who has helped shape education policy and student outcomes at both the state and national levels.
“Jon Sheehan understands that strong public education is the foundation of a strong Delaware,” Governor Matt Meyer said. “He brings the rare combination of classroom experience, policy expertise, and steady leadership that this role demands. Jon has spent his career focused on students, families, and results, and I am confident he will lead the State Board of Education with integrity, collaboration, and a relentless focus on opportunity for every child.”
Sheehan recently joined the University of Delaware’s Biden Institute as Interim Executive Director. As a former Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Meyer, Sheehan was deeply involved in advancing the administration’s priorities around education, workforce development, and opportunity for Delaware’s children. His work focused on bringing stakeholders together towards modernizing school funding, strengthening pathways from education to careers, and ensuring public systems are responsive to families and communities.
Sheehan also served in various roles under Governor John Carney for nearly the entirety of Carney’s two terms, including as an Education Policy Advisor, Chief of Policy, and Deputy Chief of Staff.
During his tenure in the Governor’s Office, Sheehan played a key role in securing agreement on a new school funding framework and helped establish public bodies aimed at addressing homelessness and strengthening workforce development and training. He has also worked closely with cabinet agencies and education leaders to align policy with the real-world needs of students and educators.
Sheehan’s nomination to the role is pending final approval by the Delaware State Senate.
ABOUT THE NOMINEE
Jon Sheehan is the new Interim Executive Director at the University of Delaware’s Biden Institute. Most recently, before his current role, he served as Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Operations in the Office of Governor Matt Meyer, where he worked closely with six cabinet agencies focusing on health, housing, transportation, technology, labor, and children’s issues. In this role, he helped establish the Office of Workforce Development, supported negotiations that led to agreement on a new school funding formula framework, and helped create public bodies addressing homelessness and workforce development, and training.
Previously, Sheehan served in a series of senior leadership roles in the Office of Governor John Carney from 2017-2025, including Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of Policy, Senior Policy Advisor, and Education Policy Advisor. His work included implementing the Governor’s legislative agenda, coordinating Delaware’s education and childcare response during the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing implementation of the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan, and advancing major initiatives such as Pathways 2.0 and the Wilmington Learning Collaborative.
Earlier in his career, Sheehan worked for the New York City Department of Education from 2014 to 2017 in the Division of Family and Community Engagement, where he helped lead citywide efforts to strengthen parent and family involvement in schools.
Sheehan began his career as a fifth-grade teacher in New York City in 2011.
In addition to his professional roles, Sheehan has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Delaware Council on Education Technology, Delaware School District Consolidation Taskforce, Delaware Workforce Development Board, Delaware P-20 Council, and the Delaware Equalization Committee. He has also served on the boards of Delaware Technology Park, Delaware Innovation Space, and the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Sheehan holds a Master of Science in Teaching from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Wesleyan University.
For any questions, please email govcomm@delaware.gov.