Dr. Jeanene Stettner-Dutt is president of the New Jersey Association of Educational Leaders, an association built to bring superintendents, principals, business administrators, and aspiring leaders to the same table rather than separating them by role.
She is also the founder of Lead by Design, a coaching and mentoring practice built on the motto of leading a life by design rather than by default, and executive director of the education division at Becoming Your Best, where she delivers leadership training to schools across the country.
Before this work she served as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, high school principal, and district director of curriculum, having started her career in the classroom as a Spanish teacher. She left the public system to take the leadership principles that changed her own practice out to other schools.
Her leadership philosophy centres on vision, intentionality, and keeping students at the heart of decision-making. She believes leadership is an evolution rather than an innate trait, and that those who advance have a responsibility to turn back and develop the next generation. Through her “Do What Matters Most” work, she helps individuals define their values, legacy, and goals before guiding teams to build a shared vision they can use to make decisions, address challenges, and hold one another accountable.
Jeanene also advocates for deeper, more relevant learning in schools. Rather than asking students to memorise facts they can readily access, she encourages educators to create opportunities for analysis, experimentation, debate, and real-world problem-solving. She argues that healthy learning organisations are proactive, adaptable, and willing to move beyond familiar practices—particularly as schools prepare students to use AI thoughtfully, verify its outputs, and enter workplaces where the technology will be embedded across professional and skilled-trade careers.
Reach her at Jeanene@becomingyourbest.com.
