WASHINGTON — Sandra Deloach Bruce, an Indian River High graduate, has been named the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Education.

IG Bruce is the second African American woman to be Senate-confirmed as a federal inspector general. She is the sixth Senate-confirmed inspector general for the Department of Education, and the first person of color to be confirmed for the post.

IG Bruce was born in Lewes and raised in Frankford, Delaware.

According to an Office of Inspector General news release, IG Bruce, has more than 30 years of experience directing, overseeing, managing, and conducting complex audit, inspections, and investigative-related programs. She joined the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General in 2014 as deputy inspector general and has been leading the office since 2018 when Inspector General Kathleen S. Tighe retired. On June 11, 2021, IG Bruce was nominated by President Biden to be the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Education. She was confirmed for the position by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 2, 2021.

IG Bruce has received numerous awards for her work, including, among others, a Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Award for Excellence, Distinguished Achievement Awards, and Exceptional Performance Award.

Education-wise, IG Bruce earned her Master of Science in Information Systems from Hawaii Pacific University and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Fayetteville State University.