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Leandre Waldo

Leandre Waldo brings a wealth of relevant experience in communications and higher education as she starts work this week at Saint Michael鈥檚 College as chief of staff for President Lorraine Sterritt, as of February 21.

President Sterritt said that in Waldo鈥檚 years working at Champlain College, Vermont Technical College and Boston College, 鈥渟he has taken on multifunctional roles including strategic project leadership, communications, issue resolution, crisis management, media relations, enrollment, and marketing.鈥�

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more pleased to have such an eminently qualified, talented, and energetic person filling this vital role at a crucial time as we launch the Strategic Plan and conduct myriad other projects of crucial importance for the College,鈥� the president said in her late-January announcement about the position to the Saint Michael鈥檚 community. The new chief of staff pronounces her first name 鈥淟ee-ON-dra.鈥�

Waldo most recently served as director of communications and engagement at the University of Vermont Health Network 鈥� Home Health & Hospice. 鈥淪he is well-known throughout Vermont and within higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations as a strategic leader and trusted adviser with a strong track record of building enduring partnerships,鈥� Sterritt said. 鈥淪he has a passion for finding solutions to complex challenges.鈥�

Waldo described her new Saint Michael鈥檚 role, as it is emerging from early discussions with the president, as 鈥渆qual parts project management and relationship building,鈥� adding that Sterritt has characterized the role as 鈥渃hief connector of dots.鈥�

鈥淎 chief of staff is often referred to as the president鈥檚 right hand. In some ways it鈥檚 also being her eyes and ears. It鈥檚 my responsibility to know what is happening across the College, identify those issues that require the attention of the president and those that myself or another community member can own or impact,鈥� Waldo said. 鈥淎ll the while, I will be building relationships with as many people as I can on campus so they feel well-heard and well-served.鈥�

Said President Sterritt, 鈥淎ll of Leandre鈥檚 previous experience will be drawn upon as she embarks on the multitude of responsibilities that fall within the portfolio of the Chief of Staff鈥� — particularly moving forward important work already under way on the College鈥檚 Strategic Plan.

Waldo received her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Hamilton College and her MBA in nonprofit management from Brandeis University. She sits on the Board of Mercy Connections, a Burlington-based nonprofit, which played a part in her interest in the Saint Michael鈥檚 chief of staff position, she said.

鈥淚 had served with Saint Michael鈥檚 Vice President for Student Life Dawn Ellinwood at Mercy Connections and she assured me everything I had heard about President Sterritt is true 鈥� that she is thoughtful, engaging, authentic and incredibly bright. Lorraine and I immediately hit it off when we met.鈥� In addition, a friend and Saint Michael鈥檚 alumna sent Waldo the job notice, saying, 鈥淭his is what you鈥檝e been waiting for,鈥� based on that friend鈥檚 knowledge about Waldo鈥檚 career priorities and interests. 鈥淔or years I鈥檝e been saying I want to be the great right hand of an exceptional leader,鈥� Waldo said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it is any coincidence that some of the very best people I know are St. Mike鈥檚 grads or employees. Everyone I know who is associated with or graduated from Saint Michael鈥檚 is unfailingly kind, incredibly intelligent, and driven to make the world a better place,鈥� she said, adding that what drew her to the College was seeing her own values of empathy, integrity and curiosity reflected in the College鈥檚 mission. 鈥淚鈥檓 also drawn to the College鈥檚 very real commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.鈥�

Born in Worcester, MA, Waldo spent early years in Cape Cod before moving to California and then Michigan. She headed back east to New York State for college at Hamilton, and from there, her work drew her back to Massachusetts and then to Colorado. Waldo returned to Massachusetts again for graduate school. 鈥淎fter a few years working outside Boston, I moved to Vermont in 2005 to raise a family close to lake and mountains and all the outdoor activities I love.鈥�

At Boston College from 2003 to 2005 Waldo was assistant director and project manager for that institution鈥檚 National Resource Center for Participant Directed Services, including extensive work in writing grants and managing project finances. From 2007 to 2013, she was first the director of operations and then director of communications for RunVermont and the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington.

At Vermont Technical College after that, she served as associate director for communications, development and marketing, while her titles at Champlain College from 2014 to 2021 were director of client services and director of client & media relations. At UVM Health Network Home Health & Hospice in recent months, she led internal and external communications for the state鈥檚 largest and oldest home health organization. She also is a board member/secretary for the Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington.

Waldo lives in Burlington with her partner Lesli Blount, and teenaged son and daughter. When she鈥檚 not working, she鈥檚 likely outside. She is passionate about hiking, biking, running, exploring and she has an interest in SCUBA. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 an adventure, I want in 鈥� I love to travel,鈥� she said.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been somebody who enjoys making connections and seeing everything from the 30,000-foot view, boiling it down to what needs to happen here,鈥� Waldo said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important for me to ask, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 important to St. Mike鈥檚, and why is it important to St. Mike鈥檚?鈥欌��