Leslie Keefe, a native Vermonter from Rutland, has 25 years of marketing, promotion, sales, management, and fundraising experience. Ms. Keefe has lived and worked in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Manchester, Vermont and has traveled extensively throughout the east coast, mid-west, and San Francisco area.
Following her college graduation and after completion of Bloomingdale’s executive training program, Ms. Keefe worked for nine years with Esprit De Corp, one of the largest retailers in America, serving as the east coast and mid west Regional Manager, which included the responsibility of opening and managing several outlet stores. Ms. Keefe moved back to Vermont in 1991. Upon her return home to Vermont, Ms. Keefe served as Executive Director of the Manchester and the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce for 7 years. Ms. Keefe grew the chamber membership from under 200 to over 650 during her tenure. Additionally, she initiated and completed vital economic development projects, such as a bus service connecting Manchester to Rutland and Bennington (which remains in service today) and major marketing campaigns. In 2001, Ms. Keefe began her own consulting business, which included managing Vermont’s Regional Marketing Organizations for Bennington and Windham Counties.
Also beginning in 2001, Ms. Keefe devoted her skills to the capital campaign of the Northshire Day School in Manchester, a $4.5 million campaign that was successfully completed in January 2006. In July of 2007, Ms. Keefe accepted the position of Development Director for Long Trail School, a private independent educational community in Dorset, VT. Ms. Keefe successfully raised over $1.8 million in annual fund revenues in three years and conducted the school’s feasibility study, created a prospectus packet, and secured over $400,000 for their endowment campaign. Ms. Keefe launched Leslie Keefe Consulting in July 2010 focusing on Development, Board and Staff Training, Strategic Planning, Marketing, Sales and Event Planning, and Promotion.
Ms. Keefe volunteers as an Alternate District Commissioner for the Vermont ACT 250 Board for Bennington Country. She was been appointed to this four-year position by former Governor Douglas and is currently serving under Governor Shumlin. Ms. Keefe lives in Manchester with her husband Brian and their two children, Joseph, age 17, and Regina, age 12.