• President Update

  Our International Women’s Forum stands in agreement as we mourn the loss of our beloved honorary member Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Many of us recall spirited discussions with her at the Supreme Court. She was a hero, a believer in the rule of law, a woman of a certain stature, a force to be reckoned with, a lawyer, a jurist, but most of all, a leader who revelled in the promise of the next generation.

  The first time I ever spoke with Justice Ginsburg, I was paying tribute to Judge John Garrett Penn after his portrait was placed in the ceremonial courtroom of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Imagine, you are a seasoned lawyer, but by no means beyond being starstruck by a woman Supreme Court Justice.  She crosses the room to tell you how touched she was by your remarks and you go from starstruck to silent. Thinking back, she was all the things that truly mattered: vocal when her voice was needed, gracious, strong, and focused on making a difference for women. It is a treasured memory of time with an icon.

  We live in a time where in the blink of a moment, the status quo can immeasurably change. Just going to sleep and awaking the next day is a blessing and a challenge all in the same moment. But we have a legacy and a path that has been forged by women who not only blazed the trail but came back to make sure others could find the way. At IWF-DC, the legacy of RBG places a torch in each of our hands so that we can lead others onward. We will all strive to be known as a ‘notorious’ woman.

  Kim

• 

  Kimberly Jeffries Leonard

  New Member

  Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, Ph.D. is the President and CEO of Envision Consulting, LLC, a boutique public health consulting firm specializing in strategic and innovative executive level solutions for public, private and government entities, including strategic planning, program design and implementation, program/systems assessment and evaluation, and minority community engagement.
  Dr. Jeffries Leonard’s broad background includes expertise in developing, implementing, evaluating and guiding public health and behavioral health programs, policies, and related legislation, with subject matter expertise in minority health, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, health disparities, health care reform, tribal issues, reentry and criminal justice issues, international behavioral health, co-occurring mental health and trauma, and women’s and adolescent services. Dr. Jeffries Leonard has over 25 years of applied health, minority health, and behavioral medicine research, evaluation, and technical assistance and training experience specializing in health promotion and disease prevention. She has designed, implemented, and evaluated public health programs in minority and underserved populations with multiple co-occurring physical and behavioral health problems. She has developed population-specific technical assistance strategies; developed qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods health and behavioral research; and has led and directed large, multi-year, multidisciplinary health projects for federal, state, local, and private entities. In addition to her public health expertise, Dr. Jeffries Leonard has extensive experience in senior level management execution and has provided managerial leadership in private and government settings. Dr. Jeffries Leonard 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 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 that she has worked tirelessly 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, has helped her forge relationships with like-minded stakeholders across and within federal, state, local and community-based organizations and to leverage those relationships to manage change and improve patient experiences and outcomes. Within the last decade alone, 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.
  

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