Leslie was born in Berkeley California. She grew up in Redwood City and attended the First Congregational Church, singing (believe it or not) in the Children’s Choir. She attended Sequoia High School and participated in many clubs, including AFS International. She spent the summer of her junior year living with a family in a summer community near Izmit Turkey and was able to travel to several areas in Turkey, including Bodrum, Ephesus, and Istanbul. Leslie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Statistics from UC Berkeley. She is a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity. After graduation, she worked as a defined contribution consultant (401K retirement plans) at Coopers & Lybrand, and then at Watson Wyatt, both in San Francisco.

Leslie is married to John and they have two daughters, Allison and Melissa. She is a member of the East Bay Agency for Children Auxiliary, which puts on a Masquerade Ball each year to raise money for the Child Abuse Protection program, and is president of CHIME. She also participates in National Charity League with her daughters.

Leslie and her family joined Piedmont Community Church in January of 2003. She became the Interim Director of Children’s Ministries in July 2007, and liked the job so much she applied for the permanent position in January of 2008.