PRESS RELEASE: Defense of Freedom Institute Names Mick Zais to Board of Directors
WASHINGTON — The Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies (DFI) announced today that Dr. Mitchell “Mick” Zais, a former Acting U.S. Secretary of Education, South Carolina Superintendent of Education, and retired U.S. Army brigadier general, has joined its Board of Directors.
Dr. Zais brings decades of leadership experience across education, government, and the military. After being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2018, he served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and later as Acting U.S. Secretary of Education. Prior to his service at the Department, Dr. Zais was elected South Carolina’s 17th State Superintendent of Education, where he oversaw 82 school districts and a $4 billion annual budget.
“Mick brings a wealth of leadership experience at a critical time in American education,” said Bob Eitel, President and Co-Founder of DFI. “He has led at the highest levels of state and federal government, elementary, secondary, and higher education, and the U.S. Army. With Mick joining our Board, DFI is in the unique position of having two former deputy U.S. secretaries of education, a department chief operating officer, a chief of staff to the secretary of education, and an assistant secretary in charge of policy serving as its directors. Our experience in and knowledge of federal agency operations and education and civil rights policy are second to none. We are honored to welcome Mick to the DFI Board.”
Before his election as a state superintendent, Dr. Zais served for 10 years as President of Newberry College, where, during his tenure, enrollment nearly doubled.
Dr. Zais also served 31 years active duty in the United States Army, retiring as a brigadier general. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served as Commanding General of U.S. and Allied Forces in Kuwait and the Pentagon’s chief of conventional war plans.
“DFI has quickly become an important voice in the fight to restore freedom, accountability, and common sense to education,” Dr. Zais said. “I have spent my career working in education, government, and the military, and I know that strong schools are essential to a strong nation. Parents deserve to be respected, students deserve the opportunity to succeed, and public institutions must be held accountable to the families they serve. I am honored to join DFI’s Board of Directors and support its work at this important moment.”
Dr. Zais earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from West Point and a Master of Science and doctorate in social psychology and organizational behavior from the University of Washington. He also completed a fellowship in national security at the National War College in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Zais and his wife, Susan, have two children and six grandchildren.