Administration

Daveda J. Colbert, Ph.D., Superintendent

Dr. Daveda J. Colbert celebrates more than 31 years of proven results in servant leadership, education, community engagement, strategic visioning, business, marketing, and management. She serves as a high energy executive, life-long educator, proponent of public education, and champion for children as the Superintendent of Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (Wayne RESA), located in Wayne, Michigan.

Wayne RESA provides a broad range of services and support to Wayne County’s 33 school districts and 97 public school academies aimed at improving student achievement and maximizing economies of scale in staff development, purchasing, and administrative services. Wayne RESA serves as the largest of the 56 Intermediate School Districts throughout the State of Michigan, with great expectations for the more than 260,000 students attending public schools throughout the 43 communities in Wayne County.

Before taking the helm as Superintendent, July 1, 2021, Dr. Colbert served as Wayne RESA’s Associate Superintendent of Educational Services for two years, leveraging resources to meet the needs of both internal and external stakeholders. She continues to transform the agencies vision of “Leading…Learning for All” by fostering an inclusive organization that embraces the unique needs of diverse communities.   Her leadership remains a powerful force, inspiring transformation, as it is innovative, influential, and impactful, shaping Michigan’s evolving education system.

Her career spans roles as teacher, coach, mentor, sponsor, athletic director, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent at the local level in school districts across Southeastern Michigan. Prior to her commitment to public education, she served as an accountant.

Currently, Dr. Colbert holds leadership positions on numerous boards, commissions, and committees locally, statewide, and nationally.  She has been appointed by the Governor of Michigan to serve on the 2022 School Safety and Mental Health Commission, where she was elected by fellow members to serve as chair, publishing its’ findings in April 2025; the 2024 Gun Violence Prevention Task Force; and the 2025 school Safety and Mental Health Commission. She also chairs the School Finance Research Foundation, which published the results of the first-of-its-kind, Michigan Statewide School Facilities Study.  In addition, she serves on the Governing Board of the Statewide Talent Together Initiative and the Student Perception/Student Voice Initiative.   Since 2019 she has represented Michigan on the Legislative Governing Board of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and was appointed to the Executive Committee in July 2025.  Dr. Colbert is also President of the Urban Superintendents Association of America (USAA), just to name a few of the leadership positions she holds.

Widely recognized for her visionary and courageous leadership, Dr. Colbert is a mentor, coach, and sponsor to colleagues and students at all levels. She is a nationally respected motivational speaker, presenter, and panelist, advocate for equity and excellence, and an unapologetic purpose-driven leader who is mission-focused on public education, children, physical and mental health, and intentional joy.

Dr. Colbert holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Southern University at New Orleans, a Master of Arts in Teaching and Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision from Wayne State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from Oakland University.