Katina Leodas, Principalkleodas@leodasgroup.com Katina Leodas cofounded Leodas Solymar, the predecessor firm to Leodas Search Group, in 2000 and has led the evolving company since that time. She is an innovative search consultant and entrepreneur who specializes in finding the best ways to recruit exceptional professionals for advancement jobs in large, national nonprofit organizations, including institutions of higher education, academic medical centers, arts and cultural organizations, and advocacy groups. Prior to establishing Leodas Search Group, Katina was a senior associate with Isaacson, Miller, the Boston-based national executive search firm. Before entering the field of recruiting, Katina spent 10 years mediating lawsuits and public-sector conflicts, with Endispute, Inc., in private practice, and as director of community relations for Boston’s Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project (“the Big Dig”). In private practice, she taught negotiation and consensus building in corporate and academic settings, including the Program On Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the Graduate Program on Dispute Resolution at UMass Boston. Prior to working in mediation, Katina spent a decade founding and directing grass roots, community organizations and housing improvement groups in low-income communities including Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Providence, and Somerville, Massachusetts. She also practiced law with a mid-sized civil litigation firm in Boston. Katina earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is fluent in Spanish. Katina’s ideal interview:
Founding Father Benjamin FranklinFirst question: What do you imagine the nation will look like in 250 years – and why? |
 Suzanne Isack Vice President for Recruiting sisack@leodasgroup.com Suzanne joined Leodas Search Group in 2005 following more than 10 years in nonprofit start-up, management, and consulting. A former executive director of The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and the founder of Brainfood – a food-focused youth development organization – Suzanne finds recruiting for the nonprofit world a natural. She brings her extensive experience in organizational development and her passion for education to bear as she networks to match the right person with the right position. She has served as the national meetings director for The Campus Outreach Opportunity League, an organization that works to involve college students in community service, and also as the director of the Fund for Social Entrepreneurs at Youth Service America, a program that assists young people in launching youth-service organizations. Featured in national media, Suzanne has spoken throughout the country on innovative approaches to community change and organizational development. Suzanne holds a B.A. with distinction in education and women's studies from Occidental College. Suzanne’s ideal interview:
Legendary chef Julia Child
First question:
If you were sentenced to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, what five foods, in unlimited quantity, would you take with you? |
Kirsten Conover, Recruiterkconover@leodasgroup.com Kirsten came to Leodas Search Group in 2003 after 17 years at The Christian Science Monitor, first at the newspaper and then at its web site, csmonitor.com. Her experience as a reporter, writer, editor, and web producer has helped build a strong foundation for all aspects of retained search. She developed her penchant for interviewing and hiring literally at her mother’s knee – at a small casting agency, where finding the right person for the right job was a daily household discussion topic. Kirsten holds a B.A. in English with a business concentration from Principia College. Kirsten’s ideal interview:
Actress Cate Blanchett
First question:
How do you choose your roles and then prepare for them? |
Diane Loeffler Shea, Recruiterdshea@leodasgroup.com Diane brings nearly 25 years of recruiting experience to Leodas Search Group. She came to our team in 2007 from her own executive search venture, Cross Hill Partners, which she cofounded in 1999 to serve the private equity, hedge fund, and investment banking sectors. Diane now applies the urgencies and best practices from the financial services arena to her searches in the institutional advancement space. Previously, she worked for the major search firms Russell Reynolds Associates, Norman Broadbent International, and Bruce R. Raines Associates (now Raines International), as well as for the unbundled search company TCO Consulting. Diane holds a J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary and a B.A. in political studies from Adelphi University. Diane’s ideal interview:
Musician-advocate-private equity partner Bono
First question:
What do you imagine when you close your eyes to sleep? |
Brenda Negus, Research Analystbnegus@leodasgroup.com Brenda joined the Leodas Search Group after working in special library positions for more than 13 years. She is happiest when tracking down information that will enable her colleagues to do their job more efficiently and thoroughly enjoys the “thrill of the hunt.” Most recently Brenda worked as a business librarian at Fuld & Company, a consulting firm specializing in competitive intelligence, where she honed her skills at investigating people, companies, markets, and trends. Her other job experiences include working as a cybrarian for Bitpipe and TechTarget and as an information professional at Boston Scientific Corporation. Before becoming a librarian, Brenda worked as a financial and economics writer for IBC/Donoghue’s and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Brenda earned a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and a B.A. magna cum laude in International Relations from Tufts University. Brenda’s ideal interview:
British author Dorothy L. Sayers
First question:
Your 1936 novel Gaudy Night explores the challenges many women face when they try to balance their professional lives with their family responsibilities. Are you surprised to learn that, more than 70 years later, your theme is still pertinent today?
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Elise Lapomarda, Project and Operations Manager elapomarda@leodasgroup.com Elise joined Leodas Search Group in 2004, bringing more than eight years’ professional human resource and talent acquisition experience. She works closely with principal Katina Leodas and the staff, developing and maintaining customized project plans to ensure that our searches stay on track. Earlier, Elise managed the staffing function for a Boston-based biotechnology company, acted as an employment and recruiting consultant for several companies in the Boston area, and recruited for a Harvard Medical School affiliate. Elise’s experience lends itself to the highest quality of retained search operations. Her staffing summary includes hiring professionals at senior levels in the organizations where she has worked, although her skill is in managing the planning, process and efficiency of recruiting operations. Elise earned a B.A. in communication studies/public relations from Palm Beach Atlantic University and an M.B.A. with a concentration in organizational psychology and development from American Intercontinental University Online. Elise’s ideal interview:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
First question:
It has been reported that you are a Led Zeppelin fan – what is your favorite of the group’s songs, and why? |
Aaron Van Patten-SteigerAdministrator asteiger@leodasgroup.com Aaron has applied his years of international customer service experience and organizational skills at Leodas Search Group since 2006. He is the primary liaison between the firm and our clients and candidates, helping to manage, organize, schedule and maintain communication in various stages of the search process. He also assists in research, marketing and records management. Working closely with principal Katina Leodas with a high degree of discretion, Aaron attends to the details that make our searches – and the firm – run smoothly. Formerly an international contract coordinator with Cowtan and Tout, Inc., Aaron has worked extensively with large corporations around the world to complete complex contract and residential textile orders with speed and efficiency. Aaron’s ideal interview:
String theorist Brian Greene
First question:
What makes you more equipped than 99% of your colleagues to present such an incredibly complex subject in a way that entertains and excites even someone who is terrified of physics in general? |
Our Team
