DR. MARTHA

SALAZAR-ZAMORA

THE ENTERPRISE SUPER

When Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora describes herself as a lifelong learner, she means it. In first grade, she was on the cover of her hometown newspaper for having perfect attendance in school. But she wasn’t alone. Her dog Mannix stood by her side—along with her teacher, who always let her bring her best friend to class. “He went to school with me every day,” she tells us. “And we sat right up front.”

For Salazar-Zamora, now in her 38th year in education,  serving as a superintendent means being both highly personal and powerfully strategic. “Regardless of whether this is your fifth year or your 15th, we have to be bold leaders,” she tells SchoolCEO. “We have to make bold decisions because our students need and deserve it.”