About Leslie W. Jacobs

Leslie founded Leslie W. Jacobs & Associates in 1992, after fifteen years as a government administrator and executive. Prior to moving to Chicago, she worked in Washington, DC, with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare and was the Executive Director of a public transportation system for Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

In Chicago, she served under four Mayors.

• She worked as a Principal Analyst in the Office of Budget and Management under Mayor Byrne.
• She served as an assistant to Mayor Washington and was later appointed First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Services.
• Under Mayor Sawyer, she served as Deputy Commissioner of the Building Department.
• Under Mayor Daley, she was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

Ms. Jacobs was awarded the Superior Public Service Award for her work on hunger and homelessness in 1984, and was one of its youngest recipients. The United Way of Chicago recognized her for Outstanding Leadership in 1991, 1992 and 1993.  In 2001, she received a national award from the American Medical Women's Association and Pharmacia Corporation for her work with the Beverly Art Center.  She also appears in the Nationwide Register's Who's Who in Executives and Businesses.

Ms. Jacobs received her MSW  in Policy and Planning from the University of Michigan.  She is married, with two children, and lives in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood.