Former KPS superintendent named next Nebraska Education Commissioner

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - The State Board of Education has named its next Nebraska Commissioner of Education.

According to the Nebraska Department of Education, Dr. Brian Maher was selected after a nationwide search for the next Commissioner of Education. He is expected to begin his role as Commissioner in July.

Dr. Maher is replacing Dr. Matthew Blomstedt, who resigned in January after serving as Commissioner for nine years.

Currently, Dr, Maher is the CEO and Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Regents. The Nebraska Department of Education says that during his time in that role, Dr. Maher completed a system-wide review of the Board of Regents, lobbied the legislature for funding for public higher education, and sought to have no increase in tuition for public higher education institutions in 2022 and 2023.

Dr. Maher has also previously been the superintendent at Sioux Falls Public Schools in South Dakota and at Kearney and Centennial Public Schools in Nebraska. He was also an administrator at Waverly, Elkhorn, and Johnson-Brock Public Schools, and a teacher at Elkhorn and Clarks Public Schools.