Valerie F. Leonard

www.valeriefleonard.com

Specialities

Board Development
Organizational Assessment and Evaluation
Strategic Planning
Proposal Writing
Financial Management
Website Development

Industries

Nonprofit Management
Community and Economic Development
Philanthropy
Real Estate Development
Government
Community Lending

Client Benefits

Valerie F. Leonard helps organizations to increase organizational and leadership effectiveness. Depending upon the needs of the organization, Ms. Leonard assists clients to improve programmatic outcomes and productivity; access financial resources; expand their client base; enhance accountability; improve visibilty in the marketplace and to position themselves for longterm growth and sustainability.

Professional Background

Valerie F. Leonard is a community development consultant with a mission to strengthen the capacity of organizations to make a positive impact on the communities they serve through technical assistance, specialized workshops, resource and organizational development and project management. Ms. Leonard has considerable experience in the public, private and not for profit sectors.

Prior to starting her consulting practice, Ms. Leonard spearheaded the spin-off of a community-based grant making organization from a family foundation and became its founding executive director. Prior to that, she worked for A. Epstein and Sons, where she managed site planning and development activities for Jewel and Osco stores in Chicago and the six Collar Counties. As a financial analyst with the Sinai Health System, Ms. Leonard assisted the CFO with the coordination of financings in excess of $100 million for construction, renovation and major capital equipment purchases. She also provided support for the creation of Sinai Community Institute as a 501 (c)(3)-designated affiliate of the Health System. Prior to that, Ms. Leonard worked for the City of New York, assisting the Director of Public Finance in the development of marketing strategies for the City's $6 billion general obligation bond program.

Ms. Leonard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Master of Management degree with concentrations in finance and marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Evanston, Illinois.

Ms. Leonard maintains membership in a number of professional organizations, including the Institute of Management Consultants, the National Association of Youth Service Consultants and the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits. She is the co-chairperson of the African American Outreach Committee of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago.

Other

Ms. Leonard's client base is quite diverse, and includes the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Chicago Chapter-National Black Nurses Association, Quad Communities Development Corporation, Greater Chicago Food Depository, University of Illinois Great Cities Institute, Steans Family Foundation, Congressman Danny K. Davis, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, North Lawndale Employment Network, Chicago Public Schools Practical Nursing Program, National Council of Negro Women and the Sankofa Safe Child Initiative.

Ms. Leonard also publishes two newsletters--In the Loop, and Community Development Milestones. Please visit www.valeriefleonard.com to download archived issues of these publications, to purchase Quick Books products for up to 20% discounts, and to download presentations, articles and other capacity building tools.