Leigh Cooksey

Leigh Cooksey is a Senior Program Manager at the College Excellence Program where she focuses on developing curriculum for leadership initiatives, including the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship and Aspen New Presidents Fellowship.

Prior to joining Aspen, Leigh worked in education at the school, district, and state levels. At Tennessee SCORE, a non-profit focused on delivering academic progress for students from kindergarten to career, she led an educator fellowship that advanced student-focused policies and practices. Prior to that, at the Tennessee Department of Education, Leigh worked to strengthen communication and engagement between teachers and the department. She began her education career as an English and sociology teacher.

Leigh earned a master’s degree in administration and supervision with a concentration in higher education from Middle Tennessee State University, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and sociology from Indiana University.