Manhattanville Welcomes Two Board Trustees

Francisco J. Leija

PURCHASE, NY - December, 2024 – Manhattanville University is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Board of Trustees members: Francisco (Frank) J. Leija and Karen Burris Lennon.

“I am delighted to welcome Frank Leija and Karen Burris Lennon to our Board of Trustees,” said Michael Dunn, Chair of the Manhattanville Board of Trustees. “Frank has decades of executive leadership experience and he has volunteered extensively and cares deeply about issues such as the Latino community and education. Karen, a distinguished alumna of the class of 1979, has significant experience working with large not-for-profit organizations and has demonstrated effective leadership as an executive and as a consultant. She is an active volunteer with many local causes. Both will be significant assets to our Board.”

Manhattanville University President Frank D. Sánchez, Ph.D., also praised the new board members.

“We are fortunate to have an outstanding and very dedicated Board of Trustees at Manhattanville,” said Dr. Sánchez. “Frank and Karen will be wonderful additions to the Board. They both have a wealth of professional experience as well as a passion for helping people. I am grateful that they have agreed to help guide Manhattanville into the future as we continue to educate the next generation of students.”

Joining Manhattanville’s Board of Trustees are:

Francisco J. Leija

Francisco J. Leija is a private company advisor with nearly three decades of executive leadership experience. He is fluent in Spanish and enjoys working with companies in Latin America and Spain. Leija is also a strategist and advisor to early technology companies and institutions of higher education. He is experienced in defense procurement and has worked closely with the White House, Cabinet, Pentagon, Joint Staff, and West Point. He uses a global set of problem-solving skills, on top of military assessment skills, to work with leadership teams and has experience in working in high-risk environments. He restructured the military program at West Point, advised Taiwan on their Military Academy, restructured portions of the Department of Homeland Security to create inaugural Task Forces, and was a founding member of the U.S. Army’s Army Futures Command. After completing a utilization tour as a strategist with NATO and being an Assistant Professor at West Point, he was selected as a White House Fellow. Leija enlisted into U.S. Army as a Private, achieved the rank of Sergeant, and retired as Colonel after 27 years of faithful service to his nation. His military awards include the Ranger tab, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and the Purple Heart. He volunteers his time to impactful causes for Latino issues, disability issues, Veteran issues, and education issues. He is a proud member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) and a proud alum of the White House Fellows and Norwich University. Colonel Leija lives in Rye, NY with his wife, Ashika, and their four children.

Karen Burris Lennon (Manhattanville ‘79)

With four decades of experience in the not-for-profit, healthcare, and education realms, Karen Burris Lennon brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as a member of Manhattanville’s Board of Trustees. Her areas of expertise include board and leadership training, crisis management, conflict resolution, communications, media management and training, fundraising, and more. In her leadership roles, particularly at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn (formerly Lutheran HealthCare), she directed multiple departments, led major marketing and rebranding efforts, secured substantial funding, and significantly increased volunteer engagement and media presence. Lennon has served in various board and advisory roles with organizations including Manhattanville as well as the Rotary Club of White Plains and the Junior League of Westchester County. Lennon holds a master’s degree in education and School Counseling from Long Island University and a bachelor’s degree in education and psychology from Manhattanville University.

About Manhattanville University

Manhattanville University (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social responsibility. For three years in a row, “U.S. News and World Report” has ranked Manhattanville the number one private, non-profit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. The university has been recognized among the best colleges in The Princeton Review for close to 20 years. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its diverse student body. The university serves more than 1,300 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities and 23 NCAA Division III teams.