Lesley serves as the Policy Specialist for the Center for Wellness and Nutrition and Roots of Change at the Public Health Institute. She is responsible for identifying and analyzing policy issues related to nutrition, health, and regenerative agriculture at the local, state, and federal levels using both a health equity and food system framework.
Previously, she was the Interim Deputy Director at the Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, Teachers College, Columbia University. There, she provided strategic policy recommendations for ongoing research projects and led advocacy campaigns related to nutrition policy and nutrition education programs.
Before joining the public health field, Lesley spent 11 years practicing law in New York City at Cooley LLP and as in-house counsel. Before law school, she worked at the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She has a B.A. in Government from Smith College, an M.S. in Nutrition and Public Health from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School.