NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Kentucky education commissioner is moving into a new role at a private Christian college in Tennessee.

Wayne D. Lewis Jr. was named the inaugural dean of the College of Education at Belmont University at Nashville, according to a Monday school news release. His appointment is effective Jan. 1.

Lewis resigned last week from the Kentucky Board of Education under pressure from the recently elected Gov. Andy Beshear and his newly appointed board, news outlets report. He was the state’s first black education commissioner, according to the Courier Journal.

He has a master’s degree in urban studies and public administration from the University of Akron in Ohio and has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from North Carolina State University, according to the school’s statement. He also studied special education at the University of New Orleans, it says.

Prior to serving with the Kentucky Department of Education, he worked as an associate professor at the University of Kentucky, where he chaired the Educational Leadership Doctoral Programs, according to the statement. He also wrote a book on public education.

The 93-acre Nashville college has about 8,400 students, according to its website.