Dr. Leslie C. Ricciardelli is the 20th superintendent of the A-rated Collier County Public Schools (CCPS). CCPS educates approximately 50,000 students and employs approximately 7,000 full-time and part-time employees. Dr. Ricciardelli’s expertise and experiences in the school district and her understanding of the diversity of the various regions of Collier County provide her with a deep understanding of the needs, expectations, and values the people of Collier County have of our public education system.

Dr. Ricciardelli was raised in Naples from the age of two and attended neighborhood public schools: Lake Park Elementary, Gulfview Middle, and Naples High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree (1991) in Secondary Education from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. She then earned a Master of Science degree (2000) in Educational Leadership and a Doctor of Education degree (2009) in Organizational Leadership with a Specialization in Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University.

She has devoted her life’s work to strengthening the quality of education in Collier County and has held a variety of instructional and administrative roles during a career spanning almost three decades. Earlier in her career, Dr. Ricciardelli worked in three other Florida counties — Broward, Orange, and Seminole — where she served as an ESE classroom assistant, then as a teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities. When she returned to Collier County, she served in a variety of capacities in the middle and high school levels: inclusion teacher, ESE specialist, assistant principal, and principal. When she moved to the administrative offices, she served in various roles including executive director of teaching and learning, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, school leadership and performance officer, and deputy superintendent.

Under her direction as superintendent during the 2023-2024 school year, CCPS achieved remarkable success. Students outperformed the state averages on 20 out of 21 assessments. The graduating class included over 3,400 seniors who collectively earned more than $42 million in scholarships for post-secondary education. Working closely with the school board, Dr. Ricciardelli demonstrated her dedication to recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff by significantly increasing teacher salaries and extending credit for years of experience from 10 to 18 years. Dr. Ricciardelli displayed fiscal acumen by aligning student achievement and finance during the budgeting process. Ensuring efficient resource distribution, she reduced more than 50 district-level positions to streamline operations, thereby redirecting resources back into the schools. She has also prioritized enhancing the climate and culture of CCPS, fostering improved communication between and among all stakeholders.

In December 2023, the Sunshine State School Public Relations Association (SUNSPRA) awarded Dr. Ricciardelli with the Outstanding Superintendent Communicator Award. Naples Illustrated included Dr. Ricciardelli in the 2024 edition of the Naples 100, which annually recognizes the most influential business leaders in Collier County. She has also been recognized by the Southwest Florida Speakers & Trainers Association as one of the most effective communicators in the region.  

Follow Dr. Ricciardelli on social media to see the CCPS superintendent meeting students, visiting schools, and engaging with the community (https://twitter.com/SupRicciardelli)