Rebecca Holcombe

Former Vermont Secretary of Education

Rebecca Holcombe earned her certification as a school administrator through her coursework at Lyndon State College. She received her doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, her master’s in business administration from the Simmons School of Management, and her bachelor’s from Brown University. She was appointed to serve as Vermont’s Secretary of Education by two governors. Prior to her work for the state of Vermont, she was the Director of Teacher Education at Dartmouth College, where she also taught a course on public policy.

Throughout her professional career, Holcombe has been recognized for her commitment to equity and public service. She received The Phyllis J. Rappaport Award from the Simmons School of Business for her significant deeds and accomplishments (2019). She received the Dr. Lincoln David Lynch Career Achievement in Education Award, presented by the New England Association of School Superintendents (2018). Dartmouth College recognized her with the 2017 Martin Luther King Social Justice Award. In 2015, she was recognized as an American Graduate Champion by Vermont PBS.