The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announces that Wendy Clemons has been named the agency’s new Chief Academic Officer, and Kymberly Wiggins has been named the agency’s new Chief Operating Officer.
Clemons most recently served as Associate State Superintendent of Secondary Education at MDE, overseeing K-12 academic standards, accelerated programs, and innovative districts and schools. She rejoined MDE in 2015 after previously serving as Director of the Curriculum Division. She earned her undergraduate degree in secondary education from the University of Southern Mississippi and her master’s degree in administration from Mississippi State University.
Clemons began her career teaching high school social studies in Clinton and later served 11 years in the Rankin County School District as a lead teacher, Secondary Curriculum Director, and K-12 administrator.
Wiggins most recently was MDE’s Director of Compliance, serving as the agency’s internal control administrator working with executive leadership and management to identify and mitigate risks identified by Internal Audit that could impact the internal control system. She earned her undergraduate degree in English from Jackson State University and a master’s in business administration from Louisiana State University.
Her career encompasses 26 years of experience in state government in Mississippi, including 15 years at the Department of Finance and Administration where she served at the deputy-executive level.