August 17, 2022

Susana Córdova joins Transcend as Superintendent-in-Residence

Transcend is delighted to welcome Susana Córdova to our team! Susana will serve as Superintendent-in-Residence at Transcend, where she will lead in several key areas related to systems leadership and transformation. This will include the strategy and growth of the Learner-Centered Leadership Lab, in which Susana was a participant last year. In addition, Susana will guide and enhance Transcend’s work to engage and support district leaders who are working to create the conditions for learner-centered innovation and change throughout their systems. 

Susana shared the following about her decision to join Transcend: “What we need today are educational leaders who can work in the dynamic and changing context of schools right now. Transcend helps leaders tap into their ability to create the kind of learning environment that places learners at the center and will help us create more equitable schools so that all students thrive.”  

Prior to joining Transcend, Susana has held numerous positions at the highest levels of systems leadership. During her tenure at Denver Public Schools, her roles included Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Chief Schools Officer, and Chief Academic Officer. As Superintendent, she was renowned for guiding the district through the pandemic, with a focus on safety and wellness for staff and students. More recently, Susana served as the Deputy Superintendent at Dallas ISD, the second largest district in Texas, where she was instrumental in leading the Start Strong Dallas Early Learning Collaborative, spearheaded the realignment of leadership pathway programs, and launched an enterprise-wide plan for ESSER Funding during the pandemic. During the course of her career, Susana has worked in schools as a principal and bilingual language arts educator, as well as serving as a faculty member at the University of Denver’s School of Education. 

Susana is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including Latinas Lead Influencer Award, and EdWeek’s Leader to Learn From. She received her bachelor of arts from the University of Denver and her masters of education from the University of Colorado. She is currently a doctoral student at Southern Methodist University researching the impacts of COVID 19 on the future of education.

Susana currently splits her time between Dallas and Denver with Eric Duncan, her husband of 29 years, whom she met when he attended her performance in a play. Susana has run eight marathons and learned to quilt  via YouTube during the pandemic. She traces her roots back to 1619 Spain, and her family history includes a 7th great-grandfather born in Mexico and a 5th great-grandfather born in New Mexico in 1702. She is grounded by her favorite quote, “Praise the bridge that carried you over.” 

Susana’s extensive experience working in schools and systems, strategic and caring approach, and deep understanding of the issues facing students and educators will be vital assets to our organization in the coming years as we support communities to innovate. Please join us in welcoming her to our leadership. 

Transcend is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates nationally.