Biden nominates Gayle Manchin to lead Bureau of Indian Affairs

Manchin was previously president of West Virginia Board of Education

If confirmed, she would be the first woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs

President Joe Biden is nominating Gayle Manchin, the wife of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Manchin previously served as the president of the West Virginia Board of Education from 2013 to 2014 and as West Virginia's Education Arts and Humanities Secretary.

If confirmed, she would be the first woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for managing the federal government's relationship with Native American tribes and overseeing the administration of Indian reservations.

The nomination comes as the Biden administration has made a commitment to improving the lives of Native Americans.

In his inaugural address, Biden said that he would "work to build bridges between Indian Country and non-Indian America."

The nomination of Manchin is a step in that direction.

Manchin is a lifelong resident of West Virginia and a graduate of West Virginia University.

She is married to Joe Manchin, a Democrat who has served in the Senate since 2010.

The couple has three children.