Joan Leonard is a Senior Associate with Strategic Initiatives, Inc. Ms. Leonard is an important player in Strategic Initiatives’ change management practice. She is our key business applications specialist in deploying our software-enabled solutions that allow institutions to align strategies, actions, resources, measurement, and performance management at the institutional, college, and departmental levels.

Ms. Leonard is also a seasoned technology marketplace advisor to colleges and universities, technology firms serving higher education, and other educational enterprises. She is highly skilled in market analysis, product and message positioning, and developing organizational capacity. Ms. Leonard is also an expert in linkages between learning and work that enhance performance and value.

Ms. Leonard has successfully led business development efforts in a number of organizations, including Strategic Partnership Development. These included establishing SunGard SCT’s first formal Partnership Program and Developer Network that acquired 42 Higher Education ISV solution providers in the first 18 months which contributed $350,000 in exhibitor and marketing sponsorship fees for SunGard SCT annual Summit, up 35% from the previous year’s exhibitor revenues.

Her marketing and communications contributions included developing and launching the first Safe Switch eCampaign within Oracle, aiming at a leading higher education competitor’s client base; resulted in a 13% response rate and $4 million in pipeline projections within one sales quarter. She also developed a Marketing/Communications strategy for leveraging Oracle portal technology with national associations in lieu of cash exhibitor fees. This resulted in $500,000 in associations’ partner recognition at their highest levels.

Ms. Leonard also served as MarCom executive director for Oracle Healthcare and Higher Education and worked with Oracle healthcare solutions, including single patient record and supply chain management.

Ms. Leonard has demonstrated capacity in developing e-learning solutions, workforce solutions, and linkages between work and learning. She was the Principal Managing Director responsible for establishing the International Community College Network, a jointly funded virtual two-year college delivery system between the Jones Education Company and The League for Innovation in the Community College. She also led the California Community College Economic Development Network in 1989, (ED>Net) from 1984-1989, which became a nationally recognized model for statewide delivery of workforce education and contracted training. While at ED>Net she participated in setting up regional re/certification centers for allied health at community colleges as well as complementary training (primarily for RNs and LVNs).

Ms. Leonard received a BA degree in Communications from California State University at Fresno. She holds lifetime elementary teaching credentials in California and Alaska and national certification as a Reading Specialist. She has completed extensive graduate study in early childhood education, reading disabilities, and organizational management.