Melissa Harris

Melissa is a Fellow with Transcend serving in the role of Partner, Rural Ecosystems. In this role she is building sustained system impact in rural communities. Melissa has served as a leader in public education for over two decades. Prior to joining Transcend, Melissa held the role of Deputy Superintendent for Community Empowerment, Innovation, and Partnerships for DeKalb County School District, the third largest school district in Georgia. She was charged with developing strategy and leading the execution of mission-critical initiatives. Melissa served for 15 years as a senior leader within the NYC Department of Education. Melissa led school redesign strategy, oversaw charter school authorization, operations, and finance, and high-level policy implementation.