Valerie Truesdale
Valerie Truesdale joined AASA’s LN team in 2019 as assistant executive director responsible for guiding professional learning and leadership development. With years of experience in the superintendency and roles in instructional technology, she knows that professional learning through AASA’s Leadership Network can be a premier resource for school leaders’ keeping pace with the rapidly changing K-12 education ecosystem. Truesdale has extensive experience leading educational systems, advancing personalized learning, digital learning and redefining readiness of youth for careers, college and military pathways. She also leads AASA’s work as a Wallace Foundation communications partner and has deep knowledge and experience as a principal supervisor.
Dr. Truesdale served as Superintendent for two school districts, Beaufort County and Oconee County in SC, before serving as Chief Technology and Transformation Officer for North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. Previously, Valerie served as an assistant superintendent for the State Department of Education, a deputy superintendent for a large suburban school system, a high school principal and most importantly, a teacher. She previously served on numerous boards and commissions and serves on the national board for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the National Policy Board for Educational Administration, the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, and the board for Collegiate Edu-Nation, a national network of rural school systems.
Truesdale holds a Ph. D. in Educational Leadership from USC, an MBA in Marketing from Georgia State, and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Clemson University. Valerie holds post-doctorate credentials as a Certified Education Chief Technology Officer (CECTO) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and as a Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL) by CoSN. She co-founded NC’s chapter of CoSN. Valerie is a former state Superintendent of the Year, is past president of ASCD international, was named CTO of the Year by the Charlotte Business Journal, and was AASA’s first recipient of the national Women in School Leadership award.
