Leslie oversees the Foundation’s professional advisor outreach program and provides high-level expertise in estate and financial planning. She is responsible for working with advisors and their clients who are charitably-minded to establish donor advised funds, new endowments and legacy funds including complex gifts of real estate, non-publically traded stock and partnership interests.
She brings to the Foundation more than 30 years of experience in the fiduciary and investment management marketplace. Most recently, Leslie served for 12 years as Vice President/Wealth Management Advisor at First American Trust. Prior to that, she worked at First National Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of California, HomeFed Trust and as a planned giving officer at Sharp Healthcare Foundation.
Leslie graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is the past President of the Estate Planning Council of San Diego and of the Financial Planning Association of San Diego.
On August 9, 2022, we awarded $838,704 in Opening the Outdoors grants to 24 nonprofit organizations that offer equitable access to outdoor spaces in San Diego County.
“San Diego Foundation is proud to once again support its partners committed to increasing community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, SDF Director of Environment Initiatives.
This year’s grantees will help address these inequities and enhance access to the outdoors throughout San Diego County.
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