New Rio Rancho Superintendent Dodd Begins School Tour Shadowing Cleveland

Dr. Robert W. Dodd, the board-approved successor to longtime Rio Rancho Public Schools superintendent Dr. V. Sue Cleveland, launched a hands-on tour of RRPS campuses the week of March 1, 2026, and is shadowing Cleveland as he prepares to assume the superintendent role on March 1 pending final contractual requirements. The district noted this will be the first leadership change since RRPS was founded in 1994, making Dodd only the second superintendent in the district’s history.

The RRPS Board of Education approved Dodd’s contract during a special meeting on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and the RRPS Communications Office issued an announcement on December 18, 2025. Board President Amanda Galbraith framed the selection as a deliberate handoff after decades of leadership: “Selecting our next superintendent is both an exciting and deeply meaningful moment for our district,” she said, and added that “Dr. Dodd brings the vision, experience, and student-centered focus needed to honor our district’s legacy while confidently leading us into the future.”

During his introductory tour, Dodd emphasized a school-centered, listening-first approach. In a local broadcast excerpt he said the “important thing for me to do as I begin uh my tenure as the superintendent is to listen and to learn as much as I can,” and added, “I can't wait to get out into your schools and meet you, um to see you in action, to hear your voices.” He framed school visits as central to his role: “If I'm not in schools, I'm not doing my job.” Reporters noted he discussed why he wanted the position “2,000 miles away from his home” and what he hopes to accomplish in his first 100 days.

Dodd arrives from Maryland, where KOAT reported he served as director of school leadership and improvement at Montgomery Public Schools or Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools, and has more than 32 years of experience in public education according to KOAT. A broadcast transcript includes an incomplete reference that “Dodd has also taught for three [...]” but the record does not provide the full text of that line.

Outgoing superintendent Dr. V. Sue Cleveland, who has led RRPS since its founding in 1994, provided a reflection in the district press release: “Serving Rio Rancho Public Schools has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life,” she said, and added, “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.”

The board’s selection followed a community involvement process that included a meet-and-greet at the RRPS Training Center with three finalists: Robert Dodd; Heather Sanchez, chief operating officer of the Bellevue School District in Washington; and Todd Resch, RRPS executive director of athletics. Sanchez told attendees that “no superintendent works alone” and pledged, “My commitment is to lead through deep listening, true co-creation and shared ownership with the people who know Rio Rancho Public Schools best,” while Sandoval Signpost reported she currently oversees a budget of almost a half-billion dollars and programming for 19,500 students. Resch proposed advisory councils with parent participation and planning adjustments based on community feedback. Former board member Ryan Parra urged public engagement during the selection process: “What I would have looked for if I was still on the board, the next superintendent needs to be really involved in the community,” and he added, “Go out there and voice your concerns because as an ex-board member, those concerns and suggestions the community makes incredibly weigh on our conscience when we make those decisions.”

Practical details reported by Sandoval Signpost list the superintendent salary range at $245,000 to $265,000 with a comprehensive benefits package; the district has said the effective start date for the new superintendent is March 1, 2026, pending completion of contractual requirements. As Dodd continues his school-by-school tour while shadowing Cleveland, the district moves into a carefully managed transition from three decades of continuous leadership toward whatever operational and policy priorities the new superintendent will set during his first 100 days.