Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has appointed Aliya Bhatia as the city’s first-ever Chief Education Officer, the city announced in a press release.

In her cabinet-level position, Bhatia will work with Atlanta Public Schools and other community leaders to “improve access to quality education and vocational training for students and communities,” the release said.

“Quality education can transform lives. Aliya Bhatia’s experience, passion and commitment to creating high-quality, accessible educational opportunities will allow her to effectively partner with APS and other education and industry leaders from throughout the community as we work to improve access to education and training for all of our children and residents,” Bottoms said.

A native of metro Atlanta, Bhatia started her career as a teacher with Teach for America and later joined the Boston Consulting Group as an associate and consultant.

She recently completed her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, according to the release.

In her position, Bhatia will be tasked with developing vocational training programs to meet a growing demand for workers in the city’s film and entertainment, smart technology and construction industries.

Bhatia will also work to create a city-wide children’s savings account program for every child entering kindergarten and to ensure that public schools are a priority for infrastructure investment and public safety. 

Bhatia’s appointment is effective as of July 16th.