Board Member
Dr. Janet Leslie is a passionate educator and community leader. She holds a B.A. in Sociology
from CUNY-Brooklyn College, an M.S. in Higher Education Administration from CUNY-Baruch
College and a Doctor of Management from the University of Maryland University College. Her
academic research and professional passion lie in mentoring non-traditional and students of
color within postsecondary environments. With over three decades of experience in senior
administrative roles at City University of New York, Janet has worked at CUNY-Kingsborough
Community College as a senior administrator and an adjunct faculty member. At CUNY-School
of Labor and Urban Studies she served as the interim director for their graduate studies
program before coordinating the Joseph S. Murphy Scholarship for Diversity in Labor for six
years.
Dr. Leslie founded the Gift of Experience LLC to offer mentoring and connect students
to resources, and subsequently co-founded the Leslie-Carter Group LLC with her twin sons,
Omar Gyasi and Ibraham Sharif, to establish generational wealth through real property
acquisition. She presently holds board positions with various community organizations
including, the Seamen’s Society for Children and Families, the Staten Island Museum and
Sundog Theatre. She serves on both the local and national boards for Lambda Kappa Mu
Sorority, Inc. For her business acumen and service to the community Dr. Leslie has been
recognized by the NYC Council, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Harriet
Tubman Purple Hat Society, Inc. A believer in the transformative power of travel, Janet has
explored numerous countries, believing those periodic sojourns have enriched her
understanding of the human condition.
