Jan P. Hammond is professor emerita at the State University of New York at New Paltz where she was department chair and director of the doctoral program between SUNY and the University at Albany and has served on numerous dissertation committees. With nearly 50 years in education, she has held leadership positions at the K-12 level as well as on state and national boards and associations. She has received numerous awards including SUNY Excellence in Teaching award and New York State Educator of the Year. She has written extensively on educational leadership, competitive advantage for schools, and mentoring.