President Donald Trump has nominated the former chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education for the position of assistant secretary of education for elementary and secondary education.

In that position, Frank Brogan, 64, who retired from the helm of the State System on Sept. 1, would serve as the principal adviser to Trump's Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on all matters relating to elementary and secondary education. He now awaits confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Brogan joined the U.S. Department of Education in November working as the principal deputy assistant secretary of its Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, while waiting his selection for another post.

Brogan served as chancellor of Pennsylvania's public universities for nearly four years. In responding to questions posed to him by PennLive via email shortly before his departure, Brogan provided no clue as to what his future plans were.

He wrote: "Now, I'm at a stage in life where I can take the time to consider how best to serve the world of education. No matter what comes next, my family and I will carry a piece of Pennsylvania in our hearts wherever we go."

Before coming to Pennsylvania, Brogan held various educational posts in Florida ranging from his start as a fifth-grade teacher to being elected as that state's commissioner of education and lieutenant governor.

After serving in that second-in-command post under then-Gov. Jeb Bush, Brogan moved into the higher education arena, serving as president of Florida Atlantic University and then chancellor of Florida's public universities. Next, he came to Pennsylvania.

*This post was updated to correct the name of the university where Brogan served as president.