Dr. Diane Reed, Ed.D.
Director and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
Dr. Diane Reed serves as an Associate Professor in the Master’s Degree Program in Educational Leadership at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. This program is dedicated to preparing educators for leadership roles as School Building and School District Leaders.
Diane E. Reed, Ed.D.
Dr. Diane Reed is currently an Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership and Ed.D. Doctoral Program in Executive Leadership at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. She serves on numerous dissertation committees, participates in the college’s Graduate Program Council, and is a member of the Institutional Research Review Board.
Prior to joining St. John Fisher College, Dr. Reed served for fourteen years as Superintendent of Schools for the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District near Rochester, New York. A progressive and highly capable administrator, she demonstrated leadership in vision setting, strategic planning, and the innovative use of resources. She spearheaded the integration of instruction and assessment to improve student growth and developed a state-of-the-art, long-range K-12 instructional technology plan that revolutionized the way HF-L students access, manage, and communicate information. Under her leadership, HF-L raised academic standards and was consistently recognized for excellence. In 2005, HF-L was named in the top 1.6% of schools nationwide by Newsweek and in the top 3% of Upstate New York schools by BusinessWeek.
Dr. Reed’s expertise in literacy education led to the implementation of the Reading Recovery Program and other strategies, enabling the district to offer outstanding literacy-based programs. Her leadership fostered student success, evidenced by 95% of HF-L graduates earning a Regents diploma in 2005 and record-high participation in Advanced Placement exams, with 79% scoring at the mastery level. The district was recognized by the New York State Education Department as a high-performing/gap-closing district in 2005 and 2006.
Dr. Reed implemented a comprehensive strategic planning process to strengthen academic programming and guide policy, curriculum, staff selection, and financial planning. She also fostered strong school-community partnerships, engaging district residents in school planning and operations.
A nationally and internationally recognized expert in strategic planning, leadership resilience, and educational administration, Dr. Reed serves as a consultant to school districts and organizations across the country. She has received numerous awards for her leadership, including the 2011 Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award from the American Association of School Administrators for her commitment to diversifying the field of education. She was also named Superintendent of the Year in Technology in 2005 by the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE) and received the Appreciation Award from the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) in 2006.
Dr. Reed, in collaboration with Dr. Jerry Patterson from the University of Alabama, developed a validated educational leadership resilience profile instrument in both English and Spanish. She co-authored the book Resilient Leadership for Turbulent Times (2009) with Dr. Patterson and George Goens, published by Rowman and Littlefield Education. Additionally, she has contributed chapters to Learning from the Best: Lessons from Award-Winning Superintendents (2009), Women Leaders: Diverse Strategies to Remain Strong in the Face of the Storm (2008) in Women as School Executives: Celebrating Diversity, and Taking Risks and Sustaining Strength (2012) in Shaping Social Justice Leadership: Insights of Women Educators Worldwide by Linda Lyman, Jane Strachan, and Angeliki Lazaridou. She also contributed to Resilient Women Leaders in Turbulent Times: Applying the Leader Resilience Profile to Assess Women’s Leadership Strengths (2011), edited by Hildegard Macha, Claudia Fahrenwald, and Quirin Bauer.
Dr. Reed has published in the American School Board Journal (October 2007), On Board, and the American Association of School Administrators Journal, The School Administrator (August 2006, December 2008). She was also published in the Journal of Women in Educational Leadership (April 2007).
Dr. Reed is an active member of numerous professional organizations. She served as President-Elect of NYSCOSS in 2005 and chaired the New York State Association for Women in Administration (NYSAWA) from 2005-2008. Additionally, she was a member of the Governance Board of AASA for seven years.
Dr. Reed is a native of New York State. She earned her Ed.D. and M.A. from the University of Rochester and a B.A. from Roberts Wesleyan College. She holds permanent New York State certifications in School District Administration and teaching (N-6 Elementary, 7-12 English, and K-12 Reading Teacher).
Dr. Reed remains dedicated to advancing educational quality and equity for all students.