Dr. Jill Gildea, Ed.D

I really believe in the ABCs - alignment, balance, and consistency. That's the advice I would give to anyone in a systems leadership role. You have to work on alignment as you're doing your work, keeping a balance in all things, and then the results come from a consistent, systemic approach. I've been in systems leadership since 2007, and I had a goal of 25 years of system leadership - I'm closing in on it now at about 20 years. When I received my first superintendency at a fairly young age, somebody told me that it's supposed to be your last best stop, and I never imagined I would be in this kind of systems leadership role for quite this duration, but that advice has stayed with me. I've also been fortunate to have mentors like Maureen Hager and Marvin Carby who championed and supported me, and I've tried to serve in that mentorship capacity myself, helping people like Kara Coglanese, Liz Freeman, Eric Dupin, and Jeff Voigt progress in their careers.

The best career advice I ever received came after I got my first superintendency at a fairly young age. Somebody told me, 'Hey, that's supposed to be your last best stop.' At the time, I never imagined that I would be in this kind of systems leadership role for quite this duration, but that advice really stuck with me. It helped me understand the significance and longevity of the role, and I set a goal of 25 years of system leadership. I'm about 20 years in now, so I'm closing in on that goal, and that early advice has really shaped how I've approached my career trajectory.

I would tell them that you really have to work on the ABCs - alignment, balance, and consistency. That's probably the most important advice I can give. Alignment as you're doing your work, keeping a balance in all things, and then the results come from a consistent, systemic approach. I would also share what somebody told me when I received my first superintendency at a fairly young age - that it's supposed to be your last best stop. I never imagined I would be in systems leadership for this long, but I set a goal of 25 years and I'm about 20 years in now. So I'd encourage young women to think about the longevity and significance of these leadership roles, and to really commit to the work with that alignment, balance, and consistency.

One of the biggest opportunities in education today is the expansion of personalized learning, early college models, and direct pathways from K–12 to college and career. At the same time, a key challenge is addressing systemic barriers that limit student access and success. Education leaders must also navigate rapidly evolving innovations, including AI and technology integration, while ensuring equity and quality remain at the center.

The most important value to me is removing obstacles and barriers for students. Any of my accomplishments where I've been able to do that have been my proudest moments - whether that's bringing in universal early learning experiences or preschool opportunities for kids, or working with schools to really personalize and design around the student. That's what Colorado Early Colleges does, and it's really fun to have found this landing spot. I believe in putting the student at the center and creating transformational experiences. In my second superintendency in Illinois, when we moved the system into a more personalized learning approach, the snowball of momentum that happened once we introduced the potential and possibility just kept growing at a much faster rate than we imagined. That's what drives me - seeing the difference it makes in students' lives to have these types of programs. I also deeply value mentorship and championing others' growth. I've been fortunate to have mentors like Maureen Hager and Marvin Carby support me, and I've tried to pay that forward by mentoring superintendents like Kara Coglanese and Liz Freeman. Being able to champion growth, development, and career progression as part of leadership is really important to me.