Richard DuFour, EdD, was a public school educator for 34 years, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. During his 19-year tenure as a leader at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Stevenson one of only three schools in the nation to win the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award on four occasions and the first comprehensive high school to be designated a New America High School as a model of successful school reform. He received his state’s highest award as both a principal and superintendent.A prolific author and sought-after consultant, he is recognized as one of the leading authorities on helping school practitioners implement the Professional Learning Communities at Work™ process in their schools and districts.Dr. DuFour wrote a quarterly column for the Journal of Staff Development for nearly a decade. He was the lead consultant and author of ASCD’s video series on principalship and the author of several other videos. Dr. DuFour was named as one of the Top 100 School Administrators in North America by Executive Educator magazine, was presented the Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award from the University of Illinois, and was the 2004 recipient of the National Staff Development Council’s Distinguished Service Award.