Daniel M. French is the Chief Operating Officer at CCSSO. He is responsible for core areas of internal organizational operations, including human resources; meeting and events, information technology, general operational planning and management; and strategic support at the executive level. Prior to joining CCSSO in 2023, Dan served as Vermont’s Secretary of Education and led the state’s education system through the COVID-19 pandemic and several complex policy initiatives, including school district consolidation and reform of the state’s general and special education funding systems. Dan has had a distinguished career as a Vermont educational leader. He was named Vermont Superintendent of the Year in 2009, and he served as President of the Vermont Superintendent’s Association from 2010-2012. In 2016, he received the ISTE “Make IT Happen Award” for Vermont. Dan holds an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Vermont, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Plymouth State University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Connecticut. Dan is also a proud Army veteran and a graduate of the Defense Language Institute, where he completed the Korean basic course.