Gov. David Ige has named Lauren Moriguchi, a former preschool teacher who has held a variety of positions within Department of Education, as the new head the Executive Office of Early Learning.

The EOEL was created in 2012 by then-Gov. Neil Abercrombie to lead the charge on expanding early learning opportunities. It has been without an executive director and most of its staff since December.

Moriguchi, who is from Oahu, has more than 15 years of experience working in education in Hawaii, according to a press release from the governor’s office. She’s worked as a preschool teacher, special educator, resource teacher, and educational specialist.

According to the release, Moriguchi also works with Special Olympics Hawaii and has been “instrumental in developing the structure for the Young Athlete’s program.”

A strong director in the EOEL — which transitioned on July 1 from the governor’s office to the Department of Education — can help set direction for the state and look for external funding to expand care options, former EOEL Director GG Weisenfeld told Civil Beat earlier this spring.

Disclosure: The Executive Office on Early Learning receives in-kind support from The Omidyar Group and Collaborative Leaders Network as well as grants from the Hawaii Community Foundation via the Omidyar Ohana Fund. Pierre Omidyar is the CEO and publisher of Civil Beat.