Ann Lebo has been appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds to lead the Iowa Department of Education.  Lebo, who has been the executive director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners since 2016, begins her new role on Friday. She succeeds Ryan Wise, who left the position to become dean of the School of Education at Drake University. “Having served as an instructor, school administrator, Iowa Board of Educational Examiners executive director  and on the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, among other roles, Dr. Ann Lebo has a broad depth of experience in Iowa’s education system,” Reynolds said in a press release. “Ann will be an important partner in preparing our students for the challenges of the 21st century.” Lebo was previously a secondary principal in Grundy Center, an adjunct faculty member in education and leadership at Waldorf University, and serves as Iowa’s chief talent officer for the Council of Chief State School Officers. She was an athletic coach and English instructor at the secondary and postsecondary levels for 17 years and worked in the private sector for five years.