2-10-14

HELENA – Governor Steve Bullock has tapped Anaconda teacher and the chair of the Montana Board of Regents, Angela McLean, to serve as Montana’s 31st Lieutenant Governor.  The Montana Board of Regents is responsible for the governance and administration of the Montana University System.  McLean was first appointed to the position in 2010 and was elected chair in 2012.

A native of Twin Bridges, McLean becomes the first classroom teacher to serve as Lieutenant Governor.  She was named “Best High School Teacher” by the Montana Standard in 2003.

“From humble beginnings in Twin Bridges, Angela has proven over and over again that if someone works hard and has the support of their friends and community, the sky is the limit,” said Bullock.  “As parents of school age kids, Angela and I know that there is nothing more important than a quality education – it’s the proven path to job creation and economic growth – and it’s the top priority of my administration.  Angela will be a strong partner in making sure our schools and colleges are giving our students the tools they need to build an even brighter future for our state.”

“As a high schooler waiting tables at the Blue Anchor Café it would have been hard for me to imagine one day becoming Lieutenant Governor – but great teachers and the support of my friends, my community and my family have made today possible for me,” said McLean.  “We are at a critical moment in Montana’s history and there is tremendous opportunity for our state. Governor Bullock has set a clear path for ensuring world-class schools and great jobs for Montanans.  I’m incredibly honored to have this opportunity and I look forward to getting to work for Montana.”

A 1989 graduate of Twin Bridges High School, McLean earned a bachelor’s degree in 1994 from Western Montana College in Dillon, now the University of Montana Western – becoming the first member of her family to graduate from college. 

She went on to earn her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Montana in 2000 and in 2005 she became Nationally Board Certified in Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

Angela and her husband Mike, an attorney, are the parents of Colin, an eighth grader, and Ellen, who’s in fourth grade.  

McLean fills a vacancy created when Bullock appointed Lieutenant Governor and former Montana National Guard commander John Walsh to the U.S. Senate on Friday.