Eric Hagarty is the former Acting Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania, the Chief Executive of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a $22 billion organization overseeing Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts, more than 170 public charter schools, public cyber charter schools, career and tech/vocational tech schools, public Intermediate Units, early childhood education programs, community colleges and other postsecondary and higher education institutions, the State Library of Pennsylvania, and other public, academic, and school libraries. During his time leading the Department, Eric secured historic increases in education funding and championed some of the most critical initiatives benefitting Pennsylvania’s students and teachers.

Prior to leading the Pennsylvania Department of Education, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Tom Wolf, responsible for developing and implementing the Governor’s priority and strategic initiatives relating to education, health, human services, and infrastructure. His notable achievements in the Governor’s Office include writing the landmark legislation that created Pennie, Pennsylvania’s state-based health insurance exchange; leading the team that secured the largest increases in education funding in Pennsylvania history; establishing Pennsylvania’s Opioid Command Center, a multi-agency effort to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic; designing and implementing Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program, recognized nationally for its emphasis on patient safety and academic clinical research; creating the Council on Reform and the Office of Advocacy and Reform, focused on protecting vulnerable populations like children in residential settings; protecting workers by establishing new standards of pay, benefits, and labor law compliance for companies benefiting from public funding; and, helping navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also formerly served as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Community and Economic Development, helped run Governor Wolf’s successful campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2014 as Deputy Campaign Manager, served as Campaign Manager for Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s successful campaign in 2013, and was Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s Finance Director for several years starting with his first successful campaign in 2011.

A coalition builder at heart, Eric has spent his career engaging with vested partners, state employees, school leaders, private industry, and charitable organizations to implement policies supporting Pennsylvania’s schools, health care system, workforce, and communities.