New Mexico Senate Reads Certificate Honoring Rio Rancho Superintendent Sue Cleveland

Dr. V. Sue Cleveland, the founding superintendent of Rio Rancho Public Schools, received a certificate on the New Mexico Senate floor in Santa Fe recognizing her decades of service as she prepares to retire this spring. Cleveland sat in the gallery Feb. 4 as Sen. Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales (D-Taos) read the certificate on the Senate floor.

The certificate, read aloud by Gonzales, noted that Cleveland has led RRPS since its founding in February 1994, a tenure the document described as making her the longest-serving superintendent in the state's history. The certificate credited Cleveland with growing the district from a system with seven schools and over 5,000 students to 21 schools with more than 16,000 pupils, and it said RRPS earned numerous state and national recognitions for academics, athletics, fine arts and extracurricular programs under her leadership. The document also noted Cleveland was named a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Sen. Gonzales offered his remarks on the floor, saying, "This is a great honor - as a friend to a friend, as a former superintendent to a superintendent - to have this recognition today," identifying himself as a former Taos schools administrator. Cleveland was accompanied in the gallery by family and dignitaries, and a photo from the event shows Lt. Gov. Howe Morales applauding on the Senate floor; the image was credited to the NM Legislature.

The certificate framed the moment as a transition: "The certificate came as RRPS closes its first chapter with Cleveland at the helm and the school district prepares to welcome Dr. Robert 'Robby' Dodd, a longtime Maryland educator and public schools administrator, who begins his appointment March 1." The incoming superintendent’s background, as described in the certificate, positions him to take over a district that now enrolls more than 16,000 pupils across 21 schools.

For Sandoval County residents, the recognition underscores both continuity and change. Cleveland’s long leadership spanned district creation, enrollment growth and programs that drew state and national attention; those quantitative milestones - rising from roughly 5,000 to more than 16,000 students and expanding from seven to 21 schools - signal the scale of operations that new leadership will inherit. The transition will matter for budgeting priorities, staffing, capital projects and program continuity as school administrators and the school board implement the incoming superintendent’s agenda.

As RRPS moves into its next chapter, local families, educators and taxpayers will be watching how Dr. Robert "Robby" Dodd implements policy and manages resources at a district serving more than 16,000 pupils. The certificate and Senate recognition mark a ceremonial close to one era and the formal start of a leadership change that will shape Rio Rancho schools in the months and years ahead.