Melinda Cardenas is the Director of Strategy & Development at SustainED Leaders. She began her educational career as a Secondary Science Teacher and Campus Instructional Coach, guiding teachers in delivering STEM education and leading school improvement efforts. Prior to joining SustainED Leaders, she served as part of a campus leadership team at Dallas ISD, supporting teacher and leader development to build thriving school cultures. Before education, Melinda worked at Lockheed Martin, driving change management and quality improvement across multiple business lines. She holds a B.S. in Supply Chain Management & Marketing from the University of Maryland, an M.Ed. in Secondary Science from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.Ed. in Urban Educational Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Melinda believes that strong systems and leadership development create thriving school environments.