Leslie is a trusted interim executive with over 40 years of leadership experience across nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She is widely recognized for her ability to guide organizations through complex transitions, founder successions, strategic pivots, and periods of uncertainty—bringing clarity, momentum, and measurable results.
Known for quickly immersing herself in an organization’s mission and culture, Leslie builds trust across boards and staff, and helps create the conditions necessary for long-term success. Most recently, she served as Interim Executive Director at Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), where she stewarded the organization through a founder transition and leveraged the global release of Sing Sing—an Oscar-nominated feature film inspired by RTA’s work in correctional facilities—to boost visibility and stakeholder engagement. During her tenure, RTA developed and launched focused growth priorities and saw a doubling of revenue reflecting growth in its donor base, expanded foundation support and deeper partnerships with government agencies, including the award of a major grant to develop innovative programming. She also mentored and onboarded a program alumnus to succeed her in the executive role.
As Interim CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), Leslie led a restructuring effort that resulted in the organization’s first operating surplus in 15 years. She led the development and initial implementation of a strategic plan that refocused staff priorities, right-sized operations, and introduced collaborative partnerships which allowed more programming to be provided. Her leadership set the organization on a stronger, more sustainable path forward.
Other interim engagements have included Temple Shaaray Tefila, where she was brought in just 100 days before the Jewish High Holy Days to ensure a smooth, high-stakes execution. She remained to stabilize operations, redesign staff structures, and support executive transition planning. She has also directed interim fundraising and planning for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.
Earlier in her career, Leslie served as Chief Marketing Officer at UJA-Federation of New York, creating a 50-person integrated team from disparate marketing and communication groups. Leslie led the team in revitalizing the organization’s brand, doubling online revenue and significantly expanding donor engagement. She previously held senior marketing roles at Scholastic, American Express, and Citibank, where she led cross-functional teams to develop innovative products and drive organizational growth.
With a transparent, collaborative style, Leslie helps organizations navigate change with confidence, while building internal capacity and readiness for what comes next
Leslie holds a B.A. with honors from Brown University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School. She is a trained Interim Executive Director through the Support Center for Nonprofit Management in New York and actively contributes to sector leadership through board service and presentations on branding, member engagement, and organizational change.
LinkedIn: Leslie Lichter