Bio of Mike Ford

In addition to leading School Leader Search, Mike Ford is the Director of Leadership Development for the Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation, the professional development arm of the New York State Council of School Superintendents. In this role, he coordinates a statewide leadership coaching program providing support to approximately 400 school leaders. He also serves as a consultant to school districts around the country conducting school board and administrative retreats, workshops for leaders and teachers, as well as superintendent searches.

He previously served as the Director of Leadership Development at The Center for Professional Development and Education Reform at the University of Rochester, where he provided support to school leaders throughout Western and Central New York. In his career in public education, he has served as superintendent of schools for fifteen years in the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District, assistant superintendent for instruction, director of instruction and professional development at Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, English teacher and Assistant Dean of Students at Bloomsburg University . He also served as the Executive Director of the Genesee Valley School Boards Institute.

He is a past-president of Learning Forward, formerly the National Staff Development Council, and serves on the board of the National Center for Education, Research and Technology. He is a past president of Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce. He is the co-author, along with Stephen Uebbing, of The Life Cycle of Leadership and the author of Thinking About Teaching. The New York State Council of School Superintendents named him the 2014 recipient of their Appreciation Award and the 2015 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. He was the recipient of the Appreciation Award from the Rural Schools Association in 2024.

Mike is a frequent speaker at national, state, and local educational conferences.