Cindy’s Bio
Cindy Leonard has devoted over 20 years working in and with nonprofit organizations and has served on numerous boards and committees, in various volunteer capacities, and as a consultant, a trainer, an executive director, a program manager, and an IT director. Prior to this, Cindy worked for a variety of small businesses and large corporations for 10 years, mostly in management capacities. Cindy’s consulting services are wide-ranging and encompass the many areas of knowledge gained through 3+ decades of work and college education. Cindy is comfortable working at 50,000 feet or 100 feet and is able to switch between big picture to fine details with ease.
An experienced speaker and trainer with a highly engaging, interactive style, Cindy has successfully worked with groups as small as 10 and as large as 200 on a wide variety of topics. Cindy has presented and trained at over 100 conferences and classes, including conferences by the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Technology Network, Nonprofits LEAD, Alliance for Nonprofit Management, Association of Fundraising Professionals of Western Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Library Association.
Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Education in Instructional Design, all from Seton Hill University. Raised in Blairsville and Derry Township, Cindy has had a lifelong love affair with the Laurel Highlands and currently resides in Youngwood (35 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) with husband Rob, a handful of very spoiled felines, and one very large dog.
WITH GROUPS CREATING PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE FEMALES TO CONSIDER STEM, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO ENTRY THAT IS STILL PREVALENT TODAY?
I believe you have to inspire girls at a younger age than we have typically thought. From my observations, before puberty (and all the raging hormones that come with it) takes over, girls tend to be more self-confident, outspoken, and fearless. After puberty, they start becoming more conscious of appearances and behaving in ways that cause them to fit in with their peers, which doesn't always include STEM activities. (Also, girls dumbing down to get boys to like them is unfortunately still a thing.) If we can get them passionate and "stuck on" STEM early, my hope is that it will be such an integral part of their beings that they won't want to give it up for anything. Additionally, we still need to work on gender-related issues with STEM, such as boys being called on more often than girls, teachers holding higher expectations of boys' academic performance in STEM areas, etc. In the workplace, much work remains to be done. Numerous females colleagues have complained to me over the years about their tech jobs and the fraternal atmosphere they deal with at work. On a positive note about that, I see many women leaving those kind of companies to start their own tech firms, and that's an amazing thing.
WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU?
Strong women who beat their own drum while achieving success in their chosen line of business have always inspired me! Ruth Bader Ginsberg (what a loss that was), Martha Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Beth Kanter, Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, my boss Peggy Outon and all the wonderful, smart women I worked with at the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management...it's an extensive list. Because I identify as non-binary, I would add any LGBTQ+ CEO in tech, because if being a woman in tech is tricky, being a LGBTQ+ woman is double tricky. There's a great list available here.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT/ACCOMPLISHMENT?
Besides my college degrees (A.A.S in computer programming, B.S. in computer science, MBA, M.Ed. in instructional design technology, and two years of course work towards a B.S. in cyber forensics and information security), I am most proud of finally getting up the guts to strike out on my own as a consultant. I did freelance consulting for nearly 20 years before taking the plunge in spring of 2020. Despite COVID-19, things are going well and I love being my own boss! https://cindyleonardconsulting.com