FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 2026

ATLANTA — The Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy (GOEWS) announced Lindsay McVicar as Workforce Director and Stacey Lutz as Interim State Literacy Director, strengthening the agency’s capacity to advance literacy outcomes and coordinate workforce strategy across the state.

“GOEWS is building the team Georgia needs to align literacy, education, and workforce priorities under one roof,” stated Executive Director, Fran Dundore. “Lindsay and Stacey bring exactly the kind of policy expertise and hands-on leadership experience that will help us deliver results for students, families, and employers across the state.”

Workforce Director: Lindsay McVicar

Lindsay McVicar will serve as Workforce Director, coordinating the agency’s workforce initiatives, including the career navigator function and the broader workforce strategy team. McVicar stated, “I am excited to work with new and familiar faces to further Georgia's workforce development and Top State for Talent goals.” 

McVicar joins GOEWS after five years with the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, where she served as principal fiscal and policy analyst for the Georgia Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Education and Higher Education. In that role, she provided senators with fiscal analysis, budget oversight, and program evaluation for education, higher education, and retirement agencies representing 54 percent of the state budget, a $20.8 billion portfolio. She specializes in translating complex legislative and policy issues for a broad range of stakeholders.

Prior to her time with the Georgia General Assembly, McVicar worked in the insurance and personal finance industry. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA ’12) and Georgia State University (MA ’22) and currently serves as Chair of the Satellite Rotary Club of Stone Mountain Passport. McVicar is also an inaugural member of the Women in Public Finance Emerging Leaders Council (2025-2027). Outside the office, McVicar volunteers regularly at her local library and other community organizations. She is an avid hiker, backpacker, and ballet student.

Interim State Literacy Director: Stacey Lutz

Stacey Lutz will serve as Georgia's Interim State Literacy Director. In this role, Lutz will be responsible for overseeing the maintenance, implementation, alignment, and evaluation of the statewide literacy plan in collaboration with education stakeholders. She will evaluate and recommend continuous improvements to literacy and reading education programs across state, regional, and local agencies. She will serve as the primary liaison on literacy and reading education efforts with the Department of Education, Department of Early Care and Learning, Department of Public Health, University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, Georgia's Regional Educational Service Agencies, Professional Standards Commission, and GOEWS. This will guide effective implementation of the Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act and related literacy legislation and policy.

Stacey Lutz retired in 2024 as Director of Strategic Programs and Evaluations at Georgia’s Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) but returned July 2025 to serve as State Literacy Coach Coordinator. While at GOSA, she led the development, implementation, and statewide oversight of key education initiatives in literacy and leadership. She partnered with Georgia’s RESA network to establish Growing Readers, Georgia’s first statewide K–5 literacy coaching system.  Under her leadership, the initiative scaled across all 16 RESAs, combining evidence-based instruction with job-embedded coaching to bridge learning to instructional practice and improve literacy outcomes statewide.

In 2018, Lutz founded the Governor’s School Leadership Academy (GSLA), a statewide leadership development program serving educators across the career continuum. Her work integrated policy, practice, and research to strengthen literacy, leadership, and instructional systems across Georgia. Prior to joining GOSA, Lutz served at the Georgia Department of Education on the development and rollout of the new statewide evaluation system for all teachers and school/district leaders. A former school administrator with K-12 experience and a National Board-Certified Teacher, Lutz continues to support educational leadership and literacy advancement through ongoing research.

 “I am incredibly honored and excited to serve as Georgia's Interim State Literacy Director,” remarked Lutz.  “I look forward to working across agencies and alongside state leaders, district leaders, educators, and communities to create greater alignment and build a strong, sustainable literacy system, so that every child in Georgia has access to the high-quality literacy instruction they deserve.”

About GOEWS

GOEWS is responsible for education data accountability, school performance reporting, academic auditing, policy research and evaluation, and literacy initiatives - while expanding its mission to address Georgia's workforce future.

Media Contact:

Sara Marchman | External Affairs Coordinator
[email protected] | (404) 904-5432

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