In July 2008, after a distinguished career as principal of J.E.B. Stuart High School in Fairfax County, Virginia and T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Mel Riddile joined the staff of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as the associate director for high school services. Dr. Riddile was the 2006 National High School Principal of the Year and the 2005 Virginia High School Principal of the Year. His work as a high school principal has received national and international recognition from National Geographic magazine, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NASSP, and the International Baccalaureate of North America.

As principal of both a Breakthrough High School and an ICLE Model School, Dr. Riddile is a recognized leader in efforts to reinvent America’s high schools. He has received White House and U.S. Department of Education recognition for this and was a member of the U.S. Secretary of Education’s High School Reform Task Force.

Dr. Riddile’s pioneering work in the field of adolescent literacy has been featured in the publications Breaking Ranks II, Creating a Culture of Literacy, and Edutopia magazine and has led to his active involvement in advisory boards including those of the National Governors Association, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Scholastic Publishing. In addition, Dr. Riddile has been a keynote speaker and presenter at numerous conferences and conventions.

Dr. Riddile holds degrees from the University of North Carolina (AB), George Mason University (MEd), and George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (EdD).