Holly Shikada, a lawyer with decades of experience handling legal issues for the state Department of Education, has been named the new Attorney General of Hawaii, Gov. David Ige announced Wednesday.

Shikada is a 30-year veteran of the state Attorney General’s office, and will succeed Clare Connors. Connors has resigned as Attorney General effective Friday after the U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed her as the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii.

Shikada has been the first deputy attorney general since March, and served 18 years as the supervising deputy attorney general for the Education Division.

She previously led a unit within the department tasked with ensuring compliance with a class-action settlement known as the Felix Consent Decree, which required the state to dramatically increase services for many public school special education students.

Shikada also served in the department’s Family Law Division, and began her legal career with the private firm of Fujiyama Duffy and Fujiyama.

Her appointment as state attorney general is subject to state Senate confirmation.

“Holly’s experience and expertise allow her to step into this important role without missing a beat, whether it’s representing the state in court cases, leading investigations, providing advice on legal matters, or carrying out other functions as the state’s chief legal and law enforcement officer,” Ige said in a written statement.

Shikada earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Hawaii Manoa, and received her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law.