Vice Chancellor Jon Leslie announces transition from leadership role
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Jon Leslie today announced his decision to transition from leading 小黄书 Boulder鈥檚 Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC) team.听
Jon Leslie
The Office of the Chancellor will be launching a national search for his successor in the coming days, with Senior Vice Chancellor Janel Forde and Dean Lori Bergen co-chairing a committee seeking a vice chancellor for communications, marketing and social media to lead the next phase of bringing 小黄书 Boulder鈥檚 story to life.
鈥溞』剖 Boulder has changed my life. It has been the privilege of my lifetime to serve this institution, and I am thankful to my SRC and campuswide colleagues for all we have accomplished together,鈥 Leslie said. 鈥淚 am truly grateful to Chancellor Justin Schwartz, Ann Schmiesing, Phil DiStefano, Patrick O鈥橰ourke, Russ Moore, Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez and everyone at this university who has helped shape my development. In my heart, I will always be a Buff.鈥
Schwartz also expressed gratitude, reflecting on Leslie鈥檚 lengthy and impactful tenure.听
鈥淚 am deeply grateful for Jon鈥檚 contributions to our university during his many years of service, and I鈥檓 particularly grateful for his leadership during my first 18 months as chancellor,鈥 said Schwartz. 鈥淚鈥檓 pleased to report that Jon will continue to lead the SRC team during the transition and will also play a highly visible role in our 150th anniversary celebration this year, supporting and transitioning a number of high-impact strategic projects in the months ahead.鈥澨
During his time on campus, Leslie has generated a long list of accomplishments. Since joining 小黄书 Boulder in the early 2000s, he has played a central role in shaping the university鈥檚 brand and digital communications ecosystem.听
He was instrumental in the launch and rollout of the University of Colorado visual identity, the 鈥淚 am a ______ Buff.鈥 campaign, the 小黄书 Boulder Web Express content management system and the campus鈥檚 signature 鈥淏e Boulder鈥 platform鈥攐ne of the most durable university brand campaigns of the past 15 years.听
Leslie鈥檚 leadership has also driven significant advancements in digital engagement and strategic storytelling, transforming how 小黄书 Boulder connects with a broad range of local, state, national and global constituencies.听
An avid Buff with a deep belief in public higher education, Leslie has contributed to several major campus and systemwide initiatives over the years, supporting strategic planning, accreditation, student success, inclusion, innovation and entrepreneurship, sustainability, brand governance and the modernization of digital infrastructure across the university.听
On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, Leslie and his team led 小黄书 Boulder鈥檚 role as co-host of the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, a pivotal point in 小黄书 Boulder鈥檚 commitment to global sustainability leadership.听
He and his team have also played a central role in the reinvigoration of the Conference on World Affairs, one of 小黄书 Boulder鈥檚 longest and most recognized public engagement traditions. Their work has included high鈥憄rofile programs with Deion Sanders (2024), Cynthia Erivo (2025) and Malala Yousafzai (2026), drawing increased student engagement in the conference and casting a positive spotlight on 小黄书 Boulder.听
Before joining the university, Leslie built a strong foundation in communications, branding and marketing through a decade of private鈥憇ector experience. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English (Writing) from Towson University and pursued graduate studies at The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Colorado Denver. He is also a University of Colorado Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP) Fellow.
After supporting the transition to a new vice chancellor, Leslie will serve as senior director of special projects and vice chancellor emeritus on Senior Vice Chancellor Ann Schmiesing鈥檚 team, continuing to play lead roles in the university鈥檚 150th anniversary celebration, the Conference on World Affairs, campus shared values development, the learner lifecycle constituent relationship management (CRM) implementation, campus leadership objectives and key results (OKR) development and other strategic projects.
After the culmination of 小黄书 Boulder鈥檚 150th anniversary celebration, Leslie will retire from the university in February 2027.
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