Paul Dunford currently serves as Chief of the Programmatic Support and Technical Assistance Branch of the Division of Special Education and Early Intervention Services at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Dunford came to MSDE as the Director of Middle School Initiatives in the Division for Leadership Development. He facilitated partnerships with professional organizations and districts promoting and supporting improved teaching and learning. His team responsibilities included The Maryland Principals’ Academy, The Aspiring Principals’ Institute, and The Academy for School Turnaround. With the award of Race to the Top, the Division of Academic Reform and Innovation was created to lead and support statewide reform efforts. Paul was named Director of Cross-Divisional Initiatives responsible for leadership development through The Breakthrough Center, a Statewide System of Support. His work was with chronically low achieving schools, Turnaround Schools and their local school systems. Dunford was the Instructional Director of Middle Schools for Frederick County Public Schools facilitating plans for system-wide middle school reform. He began his career in Massachusetts then teaching in Athens, Greece. After teaching for 10 years he served as middle school assistant principal, curriculum supervisor for Career and Technology Education and middle school principal. He partnered with the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) through Quality Schools and was nationally recognized for his work. He was a Maryland Distinguished Principal Fellow serving in the Baltimore City Public School System. He was awarded the Washington Post Distinguished Educator Award, a PTA Life Membership and recognized as a National PTA Outstanding Educator and was Maryland Technology Education Teacher of the Year. Dunford serves on the Leadership Institute faculty for the Association of Middle Level Education and is an adjunct professor at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.