DeRay McKesson most recently made news after running for mayor in his hometown of Baltimore. While that race didn’t result in him charge of the city, it may have played a role in him taking up a new office. McKesson has been appointed as the interim chief human capital officer by CEO Sonja Santelises, who will take over her position on Friday, according to the Baltimore Sun. 

“He has the depth of knowledge of the system, and he has proved that he can lift the work in a short amount of time,” Santelises said . “And he has proven his dedication to the children of Baltimore.”

McKesson will be filling the position on an interim basis until, at least, the fall while the school system conducts a nationwide search for a permanent candidate. The activist isn’t new to this kind of work having already spend two and a half years as a strategist and special assistant in the same office once before.

“At its core, this role is about finding great people, matching them to the right role, and helping them to develop and experience careers in the service of our kids,” Mckesson said. “I am excited to return to city schools … and to continue doing the work to ensure that every child in Baltimore City receives a world-class education.”

Before McKesson was put on the national stage two years ago following the death of Michael Brown, he was working as senior director of human capital in the Minneapolis Public Schools system. His work in education is clearly still a passion that he wishes to pursue along with his activism work with We the Protesters and other groups.

McKesson will reportedly have a salary of $165,000 while he manages a budget of $4 million and a staff of 56 employees.

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