Skip to content

Elms College Welcomes Two New Staff Members

Elms College Welcomes Two New Staff Members

CHICOPEE, Mass. — College of Our Lady of the Elms announced the appointment of two staff members: Charlene Holmes, director of diversity and engagement; and Jennifer Leon, director of residence life.

 Charlene Holmes, MPS, director of diversity and engagement, has a decade of experience in student engagement, student support, and programmatic development to ensure college access and success for underrepresented groups. She has spent most of her career working with non-profit organizations serving low-income, first-generation, student-athletes achieving post-secondary success, such as the East Harlem Tutorial Program, The Harlem Children’s Zone, and Door-A Center for Alternatives. Most recently, she was president and CEO of Imana Borena in New York where she oversaw the organization’s executive leadership programs including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Holmes holds a bachelor’s degree in health science from Mercy College and a master’s degree of professional studies in sports management from St. John’s University.

Jennifer Leon, M.A., director of residence life, has six years of experience in higher education serving in a variety of roles within student affairs, residential life, student activities, orientation, and parent programs. Most recently, she was assistant director of student life at SUNY Adirondack and was responsible for student engagement opportunities, orientation, and leadership programming. Leon holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Oneonta and a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

 

About Elms College

Elms College is a co-educational Catholic college offering a liberal arts curriculum that prepares students holistically for a purposeful life in a diverse and interconnected world. Founded in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Elms College has a tradition of educating reflective, principled and creative learners, who are rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, responsive to civic and social obligations, and capable of adjusting to change without compromising principle.