Leslie Lichter is a senior executive who leads and empowers mission-driven organizations to find and develop opportunity, address complex challenges and navigate changing environments. Leslie is a specialist in not-for-profit social services organizations and foundations, as well as businesses adjacent to the corrections industry.

Leslie has performed numerous assignments serving as interim Chief Executive Officer to a broad spectrum of NFPs. In those roles she provides stability in uncertain times and leads initiatives to prepare clients for their next chapter of permanent leadership.

Leslie has a proven track record in planning and implementing strategies to strengthen organizational mission; establishing operational and financial stability and achieving consensus with transparency of key metrics and milestones. With a data-driven approach to marketing and fundraising, as well as a commitment to collaboration and cultivating alliances, she excels at building community and engaging stakeholders.

She recently served as Interim Executive Director for Rehabilitation through the Arts, an organization which operates “behind the walls” programs for incarcerated individuals at maximum- and medium-security prisons with ultra-low recidivism among program participants.

Key Skills & Expertise

Interim executive leadership;
Strategic planning;
Fundraising and development;
Program revenue management and planning;
Financial and operational management;
Marketing and branding restructuring;
Board development; and
Human Resource policy / process.

Specialist industries

Specializing in mission-based organizations (not-for-profit)

Early career specializations included financial services and media.

- Serving as Interim Executive Director, Temple Shaaray Tefila of Westchester, engaged to organize and manage all staffing, logistical and congregation-facing preparation. Strengthened the organization during leadership transition, across operations, finances, membership engagement, recruitment and retention, programming, and fundraising.
- Joined as COO and asked to take on the expanded role of Interim CEO for USCJ, to lead the organization during a time of transition. Restructured $15M organization to produce first operating surplus in 15 years; developed and implemented strategic plan; re-located headquarters and stewarded $12M in investments, including $8M Supporting Foundation to provide opportunities for growth.
- Prior to her work in interim executive practice, Leslie was the Chief Marketing Officer and C-Suite member of UJA Federation of New York, the largest local philanthropy in the world. At UJA, she additionally was responsible for philanthropy and donor development efforts for 90%+ of the individual donors.
- Earlier in Leslie’s career, she worked in new product development at American Express and later worked for several large banks in retail product development, strategy and business planning. She later had responsibility for Scholastic’s introductory K-12 online product.
Leslie holds an MBA, Marketing from The Wharton School and a BA (with Honors) from Brown University. She has also completed Interim Executive Director training at the Support Center for Nonprofit Management.
- Board Member: Birch Family Services; JCC of Mid-Westchester; USCJ
- Founder, Wharton Social Impact Group.

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Leslie Lichter

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