C. M. Trey Grayson ’94, Kentucky’s outgoing Secretary of State, has been named director of the Institute of Politics, according to an announcement Friday.

Grayson will replace former Senator John C. Culver ’54, who had been serving as the center’s interim director since July 2010, and will begin his term at the end of the month.

As Kentucky’s Secretary of State, Grayson worked on programs in civic education and launched numerous online advisory services to support businesses. Last fall, he launched a bid for the U.S. Senate but lost in the Kentucky Republican primary.

Grayson served as the vice chair of the IOP Student Advisory Committee as a Harvard undergraduate and is currently a member of the IOP Senior Advisory Committee.

"The IOP played a pivotal role in developing my interest and approach to politics and public service," Grayson said in a statement, adding that he hoped he would be able to inspire a new generation of leaders to pursue a career in politics like he did.

Grayson was selected by an IOP search committee chaired by Caroline Kennedy that included Kennedy School faculty members as well as IOP Senior Advisory Committee members.

"Grayson is an inspirational young leader committed to civic engagement, bipartisan cooperation and civil debate," Kennedy said in a statement. "He is exactly the right person to lead the IOP."

In an e-mail to the IOP community, Jeffrey F. Solnet ’12, the president of the Student Advisory Committee, wrote that he was "thrilled" with Grayson’s appointment.

"We are confident that Sec. Grayson's energy, unique perspective, and commitment to public service will add volumes to [the IOP]," Solnet wrote.

-Staff writer Ariane Litalien can be reached at alitalien@college.harvard.edu