Samantha Durrance joined the SERVE Center in February 2022 as a Program Specialist for the Region 6 Comprehensive Center. Prior to joining SERVE, Samantha was a Policy Analyst at the Southern Regional Education Board, where she gained a great deal of knowledge about early literacy and dyslexia. She has been involved in several state task forces and committees related to dyslexia policy. Her current professional expertise includes policy research and analyzing the implementation of state initiatives. In another life, Samantha served as a Student Support Team Coordinator at an elementary school and an eighth grade mathematics teacher at a middle school, both in Georgia. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Emory University and a Master of Public Policy from Georgia State University.

Samantha currently lives in Texas with her husband, Matthew, and their son, James. They enjoy exploring local playgrounds and spending time together as a family. In the event that she has free time, Samantha enjoys working on home improvement projects, watching shows, and playing video games.