Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Kate Wallace to the Polk County School Board in District 3. She will fill the vacancy created by the death of former Board member Rick Nolte, who passed away in August.
Wallace is the Director of State Government Affairs for Charter Communications. She serves as a member of the Polk County Public Schools Charter Review Team and on the IDEA Public Schools Florida Fiduciary Board.
Other public service includes membership on the United Way of Central Florida’s Community Investment Team.
The Polk County School Board had recommended four candidates to fill the vacancy, though none were Wallace. The School Board recommendations included Christie Bassett, a former state Teacher of the Year; Naomi Boyer, the Vice President for digital transformation at Education Design Lab; Matt Mucci, Chair of the Polk Education Foundation; and Hazel Sellers, a former School Board member and teacher.
Polk County Schools Superintendent Fred Heid recommended the four candidates in an Aug. 22 letter to Commissioner of Education Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas, though Heid noted that it was the Governor’s sole discretion to determine who to appoint to the vacancy, according to the Lakeland Ledger.
Wallace, who earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida, will fill the remainder of Nolte’s term, which expires in November 2026.
Three candidates have filed to run for the District 3 seat next year, including Sarah Corona, Judi New and Victor Sims.
