Anne-Catherine Lyon was elected by universal suffrage, on March 17 2002, as a member of the Vaud State government. She is in charge of the Department of Education and Youth Development. In this capacity, she oversees six divisions that include youth protection, compulsory and higher education. She provides political and management leadership for all the divisions within her department as well as a vision for the future for education and youth development. She is one of the seven members who form the government for the State of Vaud. As such she implements the rules and regulations, the budgets and the laws voted in by the state parliament. Ms Lyon works in co-ordination with the other Swiss states as well as the specialised education agencies of the Swiss federal government. She holds office for a five-year term.

Anne Catherine Lyon worked as a law intern in Geneva from 1988 to 1990 and then as an attorney – at – law for the States of Vaud and Geneva from 1991 to 1992. Ms Lyon began to focus her career on European law, having obtained degrees in Swiss, French and European law. Her first job in that speciality was as research assistant in European law for the national research institute, working at Lausanne University, from 1993 to 1997. She was appointed secretary general first for the State department of Justice, Police and Military Affairs in 1997 and then for the State department of Security and Environment from 1998 to 1999. From 2000 to 2001 Ms Lyon was employed as a doctorate – assistant in European law at the University of Lausanne.

 Born on April 12 1963, Anne-Catherine Lyon was educated in Lausanne, Switzerland, from primary school to University. She obtained her master’s degree from the University of Lausanne and worked from 1985 to 1986 as an ad hoc clerk of the court for the State of Vaud and as a part time legal adviser to the State department dealing with foreign workers and immigrants.