Daniel M. French, Ed.D., currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at the Council of Chief State School Officers since April 2023. Previously, Daniel held the position of Secretary of Education for the State of Vermont from August 2018 to April 2023 and was the School Leadership Graduate Program Coordinator at Saint Michael's College from 2016 until August 2018. Daniel founded dmfrench.org, LLC in July 2003, providing strategic consulting to educational and non-profit organizations until August 2018. With a background in school administration, Daniel has served as Superintendent for both the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union and Essex North Supervisory Union, as well as Principal at Canaan Schools, overseeing a preK-12 institution. Daniel's military experience includes serving as a Sergeant in the US Army, specializing as a Korean linguist with a Top Secret/SCI security clearance. Daniel holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont, along with a Master's in Education Administration from Plymouth State University and a Bachelor's in Political Science from the University of Connecticut.