Ava Morey
From Usgs
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| U.S. Secretary of Education | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Office: 2021 - 2025 | ||||
| Preceded by | Janice Nguyen | |||
| Succeeded by | Richard Calvin Huntington | |||
| Mayor of Oak Ridge, TN | ||||
| In Office: 2007 - 2020 | ||||
| Preceded by | David Bradshaw | |||
| Succeeded by | Hillary Thompson | |||
| Born | September 04, 1967 Chattanooga, TN | |||
| Political Party | Republican | |||
| Spouse | Max Wahlberg (1993-2000), divorced | |||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | |||
Ava Morey is an American politician who served as United States Secretary of Education from Jan. 2021 to Jan. 2025 as part of the first Mellis administration. She is the sister of popular Southeast Senator Daniel Morey and aunt to former Big Sky Country Lieutenant Governor Carry Ann Yearling.
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Family Background & Private Life
Family
Ava Morey is the youngest of three children to General James Winslow Morey and Marion Morey. She was born on January 4, 1967 in Chattanooga, TN.
Her oldest brother Francis S. Morey, joined the U.S. Air Force after High School and later worked as an attorney after graduating from law school. He is married and currently lives in Louisiana practicing law and aiming for a run to become State Senator in the Louisiana Senate. In 2020 it was speculated Frank would seek the Governorship of the Mississippi Valle, but he never announced to run.
Her brother Daniel Morey is the popular Senator from the Southeast and head of the international law firm Morey&Kaiser. Daniel is married and currently lives in Chattanooga, TN serving as U.S. Senator for the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. In 2020 he ran for his parties nomination for the Presidency of the United States.
Ava herself has two children out of failed marriage to Max Wahlberg, an abusive war veteran.
Education
- B.A. Political Science, University of Tennessee
- M.A. Law, Yale University
At the University of Tennessee Ava graduated as third best in her year. At Yale she graduated as second best in her year.
Career in Education
Just like her mother, a secondary school teacher and two term mayor of Chattanooga, TN, Ava felt she had a calling to work in Education. Returning home to Tennessee after graduating from Yale, Ava began her career as a professor of Political Science and later of Law at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, TN. She taught at Carson Newman College until 2000. From 1993 to 1996 she headed the School of Political Science and from 1996 to 2000 she was the head of Carson Newman's law school.
After her divorce from Max Wahlberg, Ava moved to Oak Ridge,TN with her two children. Here she worked as Superintendent for Anderson County, TN until 2007.
Political Career
Overview
- United States Secretary of Education 2021 - 2025
- Mayor of Oak Ridge, TN 2007 - 2020
Mayor of Oak Ridge
In 2007 Ava was elected Mayor of Oak Ridge a position she was re-elected to in 2011, 2015 and 2019 and resigned in 2020 to serve as Secretary of Education to President Akeem Mellis.
Focus on Education Reform
During her time as Superintendent she came to believe that the federal role in education is too intrusive and too bureaucratic, and has become part of the problem. Ms. Morey became a strong supporter of education reforms handing authority back to the sates and local institutions as well as reforms which emphasize the importance of science and math. As Superintendent for Anderson County, TN as well as in her position as Mayor of Oak Ridge, one of her major goals was to create an educational environment promoting transparency to assess performance, promote accountability, and share innovations in education at all levels.
Ava Morey held seminars at many Universities across the nation, pointing out the need for such reforms and the need to provide parents with more choice in education and to make schools less bureaucratic. Most recently she published a report on the state of America's educational system, condemning the failure to deliver a real education reform and drew a wide range agenda of actions necessary to ensure America's children receive the education they deserve.
United States Secretary of Education
Following Akeem Mellis' election victory over former President Whitney Mason, Ava was nominated by President Mellis to serve as Secretary of Education and began work following the President's inauguration.
During her term she played a key role in starting the President's "21st Century Education Initiative". She was the author of the "Striving Readers Act of 2023" which received bi-partisan support and was enacted as the most important literacy initiative in U.S. history. She authored and passed several other key education bills with a focus of giving education authority back to the individual States while at the same time maintaining federal oversight.
For unknown reasons Ava Morey did not seek a second term after President [[Mellis]' re-election in 2024. Richard Calvin Huntington was nominated as her successor. A step seen by many as an indication that the White House would seek to severely weaken the federal Department of Education.
Life after politics
In early 2025 after her resignation from the Mellis cabinet, Ava returned to Tennessee where she took a position teaching Political Science and Law at Tennessee State University.
