As president and CEO, and a member of ESA’s board of directors, Leslie works in tandem with internal and external leadership to allocate resources, monitor company performance, and oversee contract compliance while charting the future. Guiding the firm’s strategic direction, she’s committed to using our core values as the touchstone for business decisions, and working daily to achieve our vision as a leading employee-owned, solutions-oriented environmental science and planning firm.

In her 35 years with ESA, she has managed dozens of complex environmental impact documents, including those for the California Department of Water Resources, Orange County Sanitation District, Orange County Water District, City of Stockton, Contra Costa Water District, Los Angeles County Sanitation District, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Business in 2019 by the San Francisco Business Times, Leslie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology with an emphasis in Environmental Planning and Marine/Estuarine Science from Stanford University. She is a board member for the Water Education Foundation and is also a member of the Association of California Water Agencies, Association of Environmental Professionals, Water Environment Federation, California Water Environment Association, California Association of Sanitation Agencies, CalDesal, and the WateReuse Association.