Lisa Leoni

Lisa Leoni is currently the Superintendent of Leadership, Capacity Building & School Partnerships at the Peel District School Board. Lisa also served the York Region District School Board for over 20 years as a teacher, Vice-Principal and Principal. As an educator and community activist, Lisa has taken a very active role in building strong school/community relationships. Her leadership orientation is rooted in anti-oppression frameworks. She is dedicated to removing systemic barriers caused by racism, discrimination and other forms of oppression that operate within institutions. Lisa is action-orientated and committed to working with staff to be accountable for their role in creating an equitable and inclusive organization that leads to structural changes and results in improved success and excellence, especially for racialized and underserved communities.

Lisa holds a Master of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto.  She has co-developed and taught AQ courses, including a course at OISE entitled: Critical Literacies: Language Practices for Social Justice.  She has co-published articles and book chapters and has presented at several international conferences. Her research focuses on issues pertaining to identity, language, and power. Lisa is the recipient of the Governor General’s Persons Award. She has received awards for excellence in leadership and awards from community agencies, such as the Legacy Award given by ANCHOR (African Canadian National Coalition against Hate Oppression and Racism) for her dedication to equity and for providing better opportunities and outcomes for Black children.