Leadership Spotlight
Founder & CEO
Dr. Jeff Melendez is the Founder and CEO of Zeal Education Group and brings more than 25 years of experience serving students, educators, and communities in public education. His career includes leadership roles in high-performing school districts throughout Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut, including six years as a superintendent. In addition to his district leadership experience, Dr. Melendez has served as an Adjunct Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University for more than…
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Senior Consultant
Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier is an experienced New York public educator with more than thirty years of service as a teacher, school leader, district administrator, and superintendent. She served for a decade as Superintendent of Schools for the Hudson City School District after previously serving as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and as a middle school building administrator. Her career has included extensive work in elementary education, curriculum leadership, grant management, and…
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Senior Consultant
Dr. Robert A. Tremblay is Superintendent of Framingham Public Schools in Massachusetts and brings more than twenty-five years of school and district leadership experience to his work. Throughout his career, he has focused on leadership development, family and community engagement, organizational change, and educational improvement in diverse learning environments. In addition to his district leadership responsibilities, Dr. Tremblay has served as an adjunct professor, practicum supervisor, and university…
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Senior Consultant
Dr. Joseph S. Micheller is an educational leader whose career has focused on district transformation, innovation, and the development of new learning models. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of New School Development for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where he worked with educators and community partners to design, launch, and support more than thirty innovative school models. Prior to his work in Cleveland, Dr. Micheller served as a superintendent, assistant superintendent for human…
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Talk to our team
Why practitioners lead our work
Our consultants have done the job before they consult on it.
Our roster includes more than 20 former superintendents, principals and assistant principals from coast to coast, architects who’ve redesigned schools across dozens of countries, a former law enforcement commander who led narcotics and threat-assessment units before moving into school security, and researchers whose work has directly informed federal and state education policy.
When we walk into your district, we’re doing work we’ve already done — with the outside perspective to see what’s harder to see from inside.
That’s what “Outside View, Inside Perspective” means in practice: expertise that’s been tested in a real district.
Find Your Zeal Consultant
The right expertise for every district challenge.
Search Zeal’s 139 practitioners by name or district need. This concise directory introduces featured consultants; each dedicated profile contains the practitioner’s complete experience and credentials.
Jeff Melendez
Founder & CEO
Dr. Jeff Melendez is the Founder and CEO of Zeal Education Group and brings more than 25 years of experience serving students, educators,…
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Coretta Martin
Associate
Coretta Martin is an educational leader whose career spans academic leadership, special education, curriculum development, professional…
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Eric Becoats
Senior Consultant
Dr. Eric J. Becoats brings to the table a unique blend of skills that encompass leadership in K-12 education on the instructional and…
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David Pinder
Senior Consultant
Dr. David Pinder has dedicated more than two decades to leadership development, talent management, and organizational improvement in…
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Marie Hubley Alcock
Strategic Partner
Dr. Marie Hubley Alcock is an internationally recognized educator, author, consultant, and futurist with more than 25 years of experience…
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Curtis Cain
Senior Associate
Dr. Curtis Cain is a nationally recognized superintendent and educational leader with extensive experience in curriculum, instruction,…
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Claubentz Dieujuste
Associate
Claubentz Dieujuste is an educational leader and leadership coach with more than twenty years of experience in New York City public…
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Kim Marshall
Associate
Kim Marshall is a veteran educator, author, coach, and consultant whose career has focused on instructional leadership, teacher…
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Versha Munshi-South
Associate
Versha Munshi-South is a leadership coach, strategic advisor, and education executive with more than two decades of experience as a…
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David Miyashiro
Senior Associate
Dr. David Miyashiro is an educational leader whose career has focused on innovation, organizational transformation, and the integration of…
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Lory Morrow
Senior Associate
Dr. Lory Morrow brings more than three decades of experience in public education, with a career spanning teaching, school administration,…
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Paul Gausman
Senior Associate
Dr. Paul Gausman is Superintendent Emeritus of Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska and is widely recognized for his leadership of large and…
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Ian Saltzman
Senior Associate
Dr. Ian Saltzman is a veteran educator whose career in public education spans more than thirty-five years. He currently serves as…
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Priya Tahiliani
Senior Associate
Dr. Priya Tahiliani currently serves as Superintendent of Brockton Public Schools, the fifth-largest school district in Massachusetts.…
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Jordin Williams
Associate
Jordin Williams is a leadership development and collegiate recreation professional with two decades of experience in student affairs,…
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Andrea Cruz
Associate
Dr. Andrea Cruz is an administrative executive with more than twenty-five years of leadership experience in K-12 public education,…
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Ebony Lanford-Brown
Associate
Ebony Langford-Brown is an education executive with more than three decades of leadership experience in curriculum, instruction,…
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Stephen Murley
Senior Associate
Dr. Stephen Murley is an experienced superintendent and educational leader whose career spans more than three decades in public education.…
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Mark Toback
Senior Associate
Dr. Mark Toback is an educational leader with more than twenty years of experience supporting organizational growth, leadership…
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Alyssa Sabbatino
Associate
Alyssa Sabbatino is a National Board Certified Teacher and educational leader with extensive experience in curriculum development,…
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Our Network
100+ practitioners. One team.
Zeal’s nationwide network of superintendents, principals, directors, and thought leaders brings decades of frontline experience in public education. We are not career consultants. We are practitioners who have led school systems, navigated complex political landscapes, strengthened communities, and built high-performing teams in real-world settings. That practical expertise allows us to give clients authentic, actionable guidance grounded in deep understanding, not theory.
What sets Zeal apart is the caliber, breadth, and diversity of our team. Our consultants represent a wide range of backgrounds, regions, and leadership styles, which allows us to connect meaningfully with districts across the country. Whether leading a superintendent search, conducting a program audit, or developing a strategic plan, we bring a thoughtful, hands-on approach shaped by the specific needs, priorities, and culture of each district we serve.
Outside View. Inside Perspective.
Ready to bring outside expertise inside your district?
Bring Zeal’s nationwide network of experienced superintendents, principals, district leaders, researchers, and K–12 specialists to your most important leadership, strategy, audit, and improvement work.
Schedule a consultation