CIS-VA is pleased to welcome Leanne Lytle as Director of Program and Evaluation. Leanne joins CIS from United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg where she has served as Director of Community Impact, and previously led the Petersburg City + Schools Partnership. As Director of Program and Evaluation, Leanne will engage and serve all levels of the CIS-VA network to implement and evaluate effective programmatic practices that ensure organizational sustainability and improve student outcomes while cultivating collaborative, positive relationships with affiliate staff and driving network-wide professional development.

Leanne received an undergraduate degree in Family Life Counseling from Lincoln Christian University and a Master’s Degree in Child Studies with a specialization in Poverty & Intervention Studies from Vanderbilt University.

Leanne’s rich professional background in youth services includes working for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inc.,The Learning Lab/Gateway Academy in Nashville, and Communities In Schools of Tennessee, as well as serving as a reading interventionist in a Title I elementary school in New Orleans.  Through her diverse experiences with such organizations, she has honed specialized expertise in systems improvement, program evaluation, training, resource and curriculum development.

Leanne is a dedicated, service-oriented non-profit leader with a passion for working on behalf of underserved children and families. Her personal passion combined with strongly aligned professional experience will be a tremendous asset to the CIS-VA state office and network.