Little names new STEM Action Center director

Kevin Richert | 10/28/2022

Idaho’s STEM Action Center has a new leader.

Gov. Brad Little named Caty Solace as the center’s executive director earlier this week.

Solace, of Emmett, has been the chief communications and operations officer for the Idaho Workforce Development Council since 2018.

At the council, Solace led the Idaho Launch program, which has provided financial assistance for more than 2,000 Idahoans for employer-requested workforce training. Working with the State Board of Education, she worked to expand career resources through the state’s Next Steps Idaho site.

“Almost every career now and into the future is STEM-related,” Solace said in a news release issued by Little’s office. “A focus on STEM education is key to Idaho’s future economic success and the prosperity of people who call Idaho home.”

Created in 2015, the STEM Action Center is charged with enhancing teacher training and educational opportunities in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math.

Solace replaces Kaitlin Maguire, who was the center’s executive director since November 2020. She left the center on Sept. 23. According to Maguire’s LinkedIn profile, Maguire is now working as a consultant.

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]