Katie Leonard, M.A. Announced as President-Elect

The Board of Directors of Johnson College have selected Katie Leonard to be the next President & CEO of Johnson College, effective July 1, 2018.

Ms. Leonard currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the College and began her tenure in January of 2007 as the College’s Coordinator of Grants and Annual Fund. From there, she had continued success in the areas of fundraising and community outreach which led her to become the Director of Development, Director of Institutional Advancement, and then on to Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Senior Vice President of College Advancement. Over the last ten years, Ms. Leonard’s contributions to the College have been innumerable. In her time with the College, Ms. Leonard formed industry relationships, reestablished the alumni program, increased annual giving, and initiated the College’s rebranding in 2011. She executed the College’s first-ever capital campaign in 2013 which raised, comprehensively, over $5 million to build the new Health Science Technology Center on campus, the largest building project to date.

At an all-college meeting on Thursday with faculty and staff of the institution, Ms. Leonard expressed her excitement to her peers: “My vision for Johnson College is one with a significantly larger and more diverse student body that will be immersed in industry from day-one, preparing for the jobs of the future. As a campus community, we have laid the foundation for the Johnson College we wish to see in the future and together, we will continue to work on bringing that vision into focus. We have started down this path together and we will forge new paths together. We will set high expectations, be willing to hold each other accountable and never, ever settle for the status quo. I look forward to leading us as we evolve into the Johnson College we are envisioning.”

Additionally, David Boniello, alumnus of the class of 1984 and chair of the Board of Directors said: “We [administration, Search Committee, and Board of Directors] have spent the last nine months preparing for new leadership at Johnson College by seeking the best candidate to hold the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. As a graduate, community member, and representative of this institution, this decision was very important to me – and something myself and the rest of the Search Committee have taken very seriously. We have come to a decision as a committee and have the support from the entire Board of Directors. The President and CEO is a person who must be a fearless leader, a champion for positive change, and someone who holds our Johnson College values true. Katie embodies these qualities and we look forward to working with her as we move Johnson College forward.”

Ms. Leonard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from York College of Pennsylvania, a Master of Arts degree in organizational leadership from Mansfield University, and is pursuing her doctor of education through Capella University.

Before bringing her talents to Johnson College, Ms. Leonard held multiple positions in York, PA, working with government officials and non-profit organizations. In York, she was the Executive Director of Downtown Inc., York’s Main Street Program. Ms. Leonard has also made great contributions to the community outside of her roles with Johnson College. She serves on the board of directors of NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s LIFE Board, and is a past board member of the Lackawanna Home Builders Association.