Leslie Chisholm

Finance Manager and Human Resources

Leslie joined Clayborne Education in 2015 after they acquired Champion Tutoring where she served as Assistant Director. She is currently the Account Manager and Human Resources Manager. She retired from Albemarle County Public Schools in 2022, where she was the Human Resources Generalist at Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center. Originally from Lake Erie, Leslie earned her B.A. in Philosophy and Sociology from Rollins College before moving to Charlottesville for graduate school and she stayed here to raise her two sons. A self-described introvert, she enjoys time with her four children, caring for her rescued Mustang and Golden Retriever, beachcombing at sunrise, hunting for Devil’s Dice, reading, and working on her needlework.

Raised in a devout Catholic family, Leslie experienced a profound shift in her spiritual perspective after reading When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Today’s challenging political and social climate has only strengthened her commitment to kindness, respect, and inclusivity. Her mother remains the most influential person in her life. When writing her mother’s eulogy, Leslie drew on NPR’s This I Believe as a framework and discovered that much of what she values and believes can be traced back to her mother’s wisdom. In retirement, she embraces her motto “be brave enough to suck at something new,” and she hopes that she is a little bit brave every day. Leslie’s attention to detail and her ability to see both sides of any argument are traits that can be both a blessing and a challenge. She is also the author of Our  Short Miracle, a true story of love, loss, and fate in which her parents played a pivotal role.