Melissa Sadorf
Arizona Regional Hub Contact - Tucson, AZ
Dr. Melissa Sadorf currently serves as the Executive Director of Northern Arizona University Rural Resource Center, a non-profit that provides services to rural educators. An educator at all levels for three decades, Dr. Sadorf brings considerable expertise in leadership and teacher preparation, policy development and advocacy, and education in a variety of educational settings.
In the past decade, Dr. Sadorf has focused on advocating for rural education and rural leaders. In that venue, she is involved with local, state and regional organizations to help raise awareness on the unique challenges that rural educators face. She serves as the Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association and was the past President of the Arizona Rural Schools Association.
No matter the age of the student, she works to engage and motivate learners with rigorous and relevant content built on a foundation of relationships both in and out of the classroom. Her commitment to giving back to the teaching profession has opened opportunities to mentor educators in both rural and urban settings, ensuring they gain the skills and background knowledge to hone their leadership.
In an effort to create a network of support during the pandemic, she launched the Rural Education Leaders Community that now operates virtually in 16 states and provides both PD support and opportunities for rural leaders to network with their peers. She hosts a podcast that explores rural issues and also holds monthly superintendent virtual round tables to ensure rural voices are being heard.
Dr. Sadorf has also focused on bringing opportunities to women in educational leadership. She co-founded the Lead WEL Summit, an annual conference that brings both seated and aspiring women leaders across the Southwest together for professional development and networking.
Dr. Sadorf has presented on numerous topics related to education at the state and national levels, and brings energy and enthusiasm to the issues and challenges facing educators today and their solutions when speaking.