Janet Napolitano, secretary of homeland security since the beginning of President Barack Obama’s administration, is resigning to become president of the University of California university system, say administration officials Friday.

According to The New York Times, Napolitano had her eye on becoming the next attorney general, but is now removing herself from the Washington political arena.

Napolitano, former governor of Arizona, does not have an extensive background in education, but the California university system saw her extensive management experience running a state and one of the largest deferral government bureaucracies as an asset: “While some may consider her to be an unconventional choice, Secretary Napolitano is without a doubt the right person at the right time to lead this incredible university,” said Sherry Lansing, who led the search committee, in a statement to The Los Angeles Times.