Leslie Ward Appointed President of the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier

The board of trustees of the Vermont College of Fine Arts has chosen Leslie Ward as president of the educational institution. She has been serving as interim president of the college since July of this year. She will officially assume the duties of president on July 1, 2020.

The Vermont College of Fine Arts, in the state capital of Montpelier, enrolls about 370 students, according to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 71 percent of the student body.

In accepting her appointment as permanent president of the college, Ward said that “I have always known VCFA is a special place worth investing time and energy, and I’m looking forward to leading it into its second decade. Our expertise with the low- residency education model, combined with our outstanding faculty and staff, position us well to respond to the evolving demands of graduate arts education in today’s world.”

Ward has had an extensive career in management consulting and strategic planning. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies at the Boston Consulting Group, in business development and strategic planning for investment properties owned by General Atlantic Partners, and in the nonprofit world helping establish and organizations launch new initiatives and develop sustainable operating plans. Her clients included the National Office of Outward Bound, the Clark Foundation, the U.S. government, City Year, and Public Allies. She has served on the board of several Vermont organizations, including Woodbury College and Everybody Wins!, and has been an advisor to several private for-profit companies.

Ward holds a master of fine arts degree in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MBA from Harvard University.