DECEMBER 2025 | DR. CHRISTINA KISHIMOTO
Kimberly McLeod is an education professional that has spent her professional career in public and higher education. She has served as a public education teacher, counselor, and administrator. Her leadership experiences in higher education include serving as a Provost, Dean, Professor and Executive Director in Texas and Georgia. Dr. McLeod is the President-Elect of the National Alliance of Black School Educators and the Past President of the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators. She is a Deans for Impact Senior Fellow. She is the founding editor of the nationally peer-reviewed National Journal of Urban Education. She has written eight academic books, three children’s books, and various articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has been awarded Teacher of the Year by the College of Education at Texas Southern University and was selected as an award recipient of the YMCA minority achiever’s award. Dr. McLeod is the project lead on a report based on an independent study funded in 2022 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on student success entitled Reimagining Educational Achievement Cultures in Higher Education: Moving Texas Towards Student Success. Dr. McLeod is a doting mom to three young adults and aunt to four beautiful girls.
Enjoy the conversation with Dr. Kishimoto and Dr. McLeod below.
The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Dr. Kishimoto
Hello everyone, I’m Dr. Christina Kishimoto. Welcome to Under the Flamboyan. For our December 2025 edition, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Kimberly McLeod, President-Elect of NABSE. Welcome, Kimberly.
Dr. McLeod
Thank you. I’m grateful to be here and appreciate the invitation.
Dr. Kishimoto
The last time I saw you was at the Leaders of Color Conference in Annapolis. It was a powerful gathering, and wonderful to connect with you there.
Dr. McLeod
It was an honor—hearing you, learning from you, and sharing space. I hope today we plant seeds that nourish both us and those who are listening in.
Dr. Kishimoto
Yes, that’s what this space is for—learning from women leaders across the country. It’s been a challenging year publicly and organizationally, but with challenge comes opportunity. You’ve led in K–12, higher education, statewide and nationally. What has this semester looked like for you?
Dr. McLeod
This semester has been about focus—identifying what matters most and protecting it. Part of leadership is recognizing what’s a distraction versus what’s intentionally placed in our lives to push us forward. I’ve been intentional about spending time with my sons, preparing NABSE for its next steps, and writing grants—six in the last couple of months. It comes back to keeping the main thing the main thing.
Dr. Kishimoto
I love that you’re enjoying time with your sons. Even as they grow, they still need us, and we need them. Young people across this nation are watching how we show up in leadership. What are you focused on as you lead through NABSE and your other roles?
