Distinguished Alum
After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UHart in 1984, Leahy was hired by one of PwC’s predecessor firms, and as her career progressed, her base of operations included such cities as Albany, New York, Hartford, and Boston. Her demonstrated strength helping universities with their accounting needs brought her such clients as Yale, M.I.T., Trinity College, and the University of Hartford. One of her favorite on-the-job activities was chatting with college presidents, with a particular fondness for the discussions she had with Walter Harrison, UHart’s fifth and longest-serving president (1998 to 2017).
Leahy has demonstrated a commitment to volunteerism and helping not-for-profit organizations throughout her career and into retirement. She served for nine years on the board of the Animal Rescue League of Boston and continues to be an animal welfare advocate. She spent nine years volunteering on the Board of the American College of Greece as the audit committee chair and corporate secretary, furthering her commitment to institutions of higher education. Currently, Leahy serves as treasurer for Sea Pines Community Service Associates, and donates handmade knitting and crochet yarn projects to those in need.
As a student, Leahy was an active member of the Student Government Association (SGA) and remains closely connected to fellow SGA alum from the 1980s. In addition to helping recruit Barney graduates into public accounting careers, Leahy has been a member of a number of boards and committees at the University, including the Barney Board of Visitors and the Alumni Advisory Board. In 2012, she was the inaugural speaker in the Corine T. Norgaard Women in Leadership Lecture Series, and the following year, was inducted into the Barney School Hall of Fame as the first female inductee. Leahy’s generosity to the University extends to many different areas of student support and success, including the Barney School of Business, the new track and field project, the Center for Student Success, and the establishment of the Lee ’84 and Michael Leahy Accounting Faculty Excellence Fund.
Leahy and her husband live in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and spend the summer months in Kennebunkport, Maine.