Shirley Leonard is new senior director of principal gifts

The Advancement team recently welcomed a new member, Shirley Leonard, who joins NEOMED as senior director of principal gifts.

Leonard most recently served as senior director of development at the Cleveland Public Library, where she oversaw individual giving, institutional relations, database management and event planning. During her tenure, she launched major gifts and planned giving programs and established an endowment fund to strengthen the Cleveland Public Library Foundation in perpetuity.

Prior to her work at Cleveland Public Library, she was associate dean of development and external relations at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. In that role, she led a fundraising campaign for the 25th anniversary of the School’s Doctor of Business Administration program and helped develop advisory groups and secure funding for new Centers of Excellence.

Leonard also previously served as senior director of development at Cleveland State University for the Monte Ahuja College of Business and the Levin College of Urban Affairs, where she played a key role in helping the university exceed its goal of $100 million in its first comprehensive campaign.

She holds an M.B.A. from Cleveland State University and is passionate about helping students access education and transform their lives. She and her husband live in Solon and have two grown children. They are avid hikers and can often be found exploring the trails of the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Welcome, Shirley!