Melissa A. Sadorf

Melissa A. Sadorf is a career educator and nationally recognized expert in rural education leadership, with over three decades of experience as a teacher, literacy coach, assistant principal, principal, superintendent, professor, and consultant in Arizona’s rural schools. She serves as Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, following prior leadership roles as executive director of the Arizona Rural Schools Association, director of the Northern Arizona University Rural Schools Resource Center, and president of the National Rural Education Association’s executive board. Sadorf has also been superintendent of the Stanfield Elementary School District in rural Arizona, where her responsibilities have included business management, federal grant programs, and human resources.

Sadorf is the author of The Resilient Rural Leader: Rising to the Challenges of Rural Education (ASCD, 2024), which draws on her long service in rural education to address the unique challenges and strengths of rural school leaders. She hosts The Rural Scoop podcast, has created a Rural Leaders Network spanning multiple Western states, and teaches educational leadership and principal preparation courses at Northern Arizona University, all focused on strengthening rural leadership pipelines, educator retention, and school–community partnerships.