For the first time in its 31-year history, Rio Rancho Public Schools will have a new leader.
The Board of Education unanimously approved Dr. Robert W. Dodd as the district’s next superintendent during a meeting Wednesday, according to a district press release. Dodd, currently the director of school leadership and improvement for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, will assume his new role March 1, 2026.
Dodd was chosen from three finalists who met with community members and stakeholders earlier this week. The other finalists were Todd Resch, the district’s executive director of athletics, and Dr. Heather Sánchez, chief operating officer of the Bellevue School District in Washington.
The search began in October following Dr. V. Sue Cleveland’s announcement that she would retire after serving as the district’s only superintendent since its founding in 1994.
“Selecting our next superintendent is both an exciting and deeply meaningful moment for our district,” Amanda Galbraith, president of the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education, said in the press release. “After 31 years of consistent leadership from Dr. Cleveland, the Board approached this decision with great care.”
Dodd expressed commitment to honoring Cleveland’s legacy while working with the Rio Rancho community.
“This district’s success is rooted in an extraordinary 31-year legacy under Dr. Sue Cleveland, and I am committed to honoring that past while working closely with her to ensure a smooth, thoughtful transition,” Dodd said in the press release. “I look forward to listening, learning and partnering with the Rio Rancho community as we invent the future so every graduate is prepared for what lies ahead.”
Cleveland, who led the district from seven schools and 5,900 students to Rio Rancho’s largest public institution, which serves more than 16,500 students across 21 schools, reflected on her tenure in the release.
“Serving Rio Rancho Public Schools has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life,” Cleveland said in the press release. “I am incredibly proud of our students, staff and community, and I am confident the district is well positioned for continued success as it enters this next chapter of leadership.”