RIO RANCHO, NEW MEXICO – Rio Rancho Public Schools has selected Dr. Robert Dodd as its next superintendent, following a decision announced at a special board meeting. The hire concludes a nationwide search narrowed down to three finalists—Dr. Dodd, RRPS Executive Director of Athletics Todd Resch, and Dr. Heather Sánchez—based in part on input from students, staff, parents, and community members.
🔹 Background and Qualifications
- Educational Leadership Experience
Dr. Dodd brings over 32 years of experience in public education, having served as a principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels—a rare and valuable breadth of experience. He earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. - Director, Montgomery County Public Schools
Most recently, Dr. Dodd was the Director of School Leadership & Improvement for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where he supervised 16 schools within the Northeast Consortium. He designed and led initiatives to improve academic growth, expand advanced coursework, and reduce achievement gaps. - High School Principal & Award Recognition
He served for six years as principal of Walt Whitman High School, Maryland’s top-ranked high school, and was named Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader of the Year in 2014. - Leadership & Innovation
Throughout his career, Dr. Dodd has initiated innovative programs such as the Leadership Academy for Social Justice, One Whitman, and Bridge to Wellness. His leadership sustained strong school culture and academic progress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Honoring the past, building the present, and inventing the future,” is Dr. Dodd’s theme. He introduced a framework called “7 Keys to Success,” outlining a strategic, community-driven approach to shaping RRPS’s future.
Dr. Dodd will officially assume his duties in March, succeeding Dr. V. Sue Cleveland, who retired after serving as the district’s inaugural and only superintendent since 1994. During a community meeting, Dodd described himself as a “school-centered leader” committed to listening, learning, and advocating for Rio Rancho’s 16,000-plus students and their families.
