She is knowledgeable of federal contracting principles, grants management, performance monitoring and continuous quality improvement methods, and has managed each of these processes. She is adept at making programmatic and policy decisions related to political and public health complexities. Dr. Jeffries Leonard has also worked extensively on programs in and with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and has developed and implemented minority engagement, training and professional development programs for non-profit organizations. An effective written and oral communicator, Dr. Jeffries Leonard has served as spokeswoman for federal and state government initiatives and for a number of organizations with interests related to public health issues. Dr. Jeffries Leonard’s curriculum vitae reflects her tireless efforts throughout her career to promote education and improve services for those facing health challenges due to disparities in education, access to care and other socio-economic factors. Her passion for service and commitment to her profession have helped her forge and leverage relationships with like-minded stakeholders across and within federal, state, local and community-based organizations to manage change and improve patient experiences and outcomes.

Within the last decade, Dr. Jeffries Leonard has served on numerous public health advisory committees and delivered nearly 100 invited lectures, presentations, trainings and keynote addresses for national audiences representing various health and behavioral health interests. An enrolled tribal member of the NC state-recognized Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Dr. Jeffries Leonard is a proponent of culturally competent service provision and an ardent promoter of increased participation by Native Americans, African Americans and other minorities in relevant research to help improve their health outcomes. Dr. Jeffries Leonard earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology from Howard University and a Master of Science degree from North Carolina Central University. She also completed a National Institutes of Minority Health(NIMH)pre-doctoral fellowship at George Washington University Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences examining chronic disease and family systems; a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute post-doctoral fellowship at the Howard University Cancer Center, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics studying cardiovascular and cancer epidemiology; and the Graduate Summer Program in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Dr. Jeffries Leonard serves as Director-at-Large on the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc. Board of Directors; serves as Vice President of Administration and member of the Board of Directors of the Black Women’s Agenda, Inc.; is a member of the Board of Trustees at Fayetteville State University, her alma mater; a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.(NCNW) and Honorary Chair of the NCNW 59thNational Convention; is a member of the American Heart Association Diversity Leadership Committee; serves as a member of the Petey Greene Program Board of Trustees; is a member of the AIDS United Board of Trustees; and was appointed Chair of the DC Commission on African American Affairs by Washington, DC Mayor, Muriel Bowser. Mayor Bowser recently appointed Dr. Jeffries Leonard to serve on the ReOpen DC Advisory Group and the ReOpen DC Task Force on Equity, Disparity Reduction,