The Wyoming Department of Education is led by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, which is one of five elected officials in Wyoming. The Superintendent serves for four years and appoints a leadership team consisting of chiefs and directors who guide work in their respective areas.
Megan Degendelfer
State Superintendent of
Public Instruction
Megan Degenfelder was elected Wyoming’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2022, making her one of the youngest elected statewide officials in Wyoming history. Growing up in a six-generation Wyoming ranching family and coming from years of private sector experience in coal and oil and gas, Megan advocates for conservative values, parental rights, workforce preparation and patriotism in education.
Megan graduated from the University of Wyoming with bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science, and served as student body president, captain of the rugby team, and top graduating female. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Economics from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China, with her thesis focusing on the elasticity of demand between coal and natural gas.
Megan volunteers on several non-profit boards, coaches the University of Wyoming women’s rugby team, fosters rescue dogs, and is an active volunteer in her church. She is a cancer survivor, enjoys hunting, competitive trap shooting and hiking, and has traveled to over 40 countries. Megan’s husband, Bryan Dugas, is an anesthesiologist, and they have two beloved rescue dogs, Loretta Lynn and Patsy.
Dicky Shanor
Chief of Staff
Trent Carroll
Chief Operations Officer
Shelley Hamel
Chief Academic Officer
Wanda Maloney
Chief Policy Officer
Linda Finnerty
Chief Communications Officer
Sean McInerney
Accountability Division Director
Laurie Hernandez
Standards and Assessment
Division Director
Susan Williams
Information Management
Division Director
John Balow
Special Education
Division Director
