#  Melissa Sadorf 

Executive Director, National Rural Education Association

 

 

 



   ![Melissa Sadorf headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12921/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/2026-10/Melissa%20Sadorf%20Headshot.jpg?itok=TvOatr6z) 

 



 





 

Dr. Melissa Sadorf has spent more than 30 years showing up for rural schools, first as a teacher and principal, then as a superintendent, and now as a nationally recognized voice for rural education leadership. She currently serves as Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, the oldest and largest organization in the country dedicated to rural schools and the communities they serve.

  
Dr. Sadorf is the author of *The Resilient Rural Leader: Rising to the Challenges of Rural Education* (ASCD, 2024) and the host of The Rural Scoop podcast, where she brings rural educators, researchers, and advocates into conversation on the issues that matter most. She writes regularly on rural education through her Substack, reaching practitioners and policymakers alike.

  
At Northern Arizona University, she serves as Assistant Teaching Professor in Educational Leadership and Director of the Rural Resource Center, where her work focuses on preparing the next generation of rural principals and superintendents. She is also the founder of Vela Educational Consultants, a practice specializing in rural leadership development and educator ethics.

  
Dr. Sadorf is a co-founder of Lead WEL, an initiative supporting women in educational leadership through professional development and community building. She serves on multiple state and national boards and chairs the Arizona Professional Practices Advisory Committee, bringing a sustained focus on ethical leadership in education. Her career is grounded in one consistent belief: rural is not a limitation. It is a context with its own assets, relationships, and possibilities worth fighting for.



 

 

 





 

 

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     [Steering Committee](/person-categories/steering-committee)