Cindy Sadler brings over two decades of experience in the political, public relations, nonprofit management, and financial development fields to the Alliance for Excellent Education. Here, she focuses on representing the Alliance to and building support from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and on external communications.

Before joining the Alliance, Sadler inaugurated the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's first formal development program, and served as its director. Previously, she led the development and outreach efforts for several other public policy organizations, including the Economic Policy Institute, The American Prospect magazine, and the National Mental Health Association. As a consultant, she has provided fundraising and public relations support and advice to a variety of national and international nonprofits, including Resources for the Future, the National Practitioners' Network for Fathers and Families, and the American Bar Association's Central and Eastern European Law Initiative. She has also helped several educational institutions, including the Civic Education Project and Southern Virginia College, to build their development and communications programs.

Sadler has worked for several members of Congress, on various presidential and congressional campaigns, and for political action committees. She has spoken publicly and published articles and technical assistance manuals on nonprofit fundraising, grant proposal development, and philanthropic sector issues. Sadler is a graduate of Southern Seminary College, where she majored in theatre arts.