Jessica Cronauer is the Executive Director of Leadership Northeast (LNE). In this role, Jess oversees all LNE development programs, fundraising, and alumni relations. A leadership development specialist with a master’s degree in organizational leadership and learning from The George Washington University, she has written and facilitated leadership curriculum for all LNE programming, working directly with thousands of executives, industry experts, mid-level professionals, college and high school students. In addition, she designed and executed the Impact, Leadership in Education program for K-12 classroom teachers, as well as the Amplify: Women’s Leadership Certificate Program, both the first of their kind in the state of Pennsylvania. An alumna of the 2004 Core Program, Jess became a member of the team in 2014 and has worked to evolve the mission of LNE, creating virtual options to expand the organization’s reach and implementing progressive diversity initiatives for all program curriculum and participants. Jess’s approach to leadership development and executive coaching is grounded in the research, findings, and innovations in the most progressive areas of leadership studies. She is a member of the Association of Leadership Programs and a conference speaker for the International Leadership Association.

Recognized in the Top 25 Women in Business feature by the NEPA Business Journal and a Remarkable Woman Nominee in 2023, she was also recognized as a 2023 Change Maker by the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. Recently, she was named one of the 2023 Distinctive Women in the Times Leader. She serves as an adjunct professor at Wilkes University, and on the board of directors for the GWV Chamber, Dress for Success Luzerne County, as an active member of the Luzerne County Youth Aid Panel, and a former board member of the United Way of Wyoming Valley. Her work in equity and inclusion continues on the UWV Community Impact Sub-Committee and the GWVCC Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council. In addition to GWU, Jessica was educated at the University of Scranton, New York University and King’s College. She is a Pennsylvania State Certified teacher and holds bachelor’s degrees in English and Psychology. She received an Executive Coaching Certificate from Penn State University in 2019, and an Advanced Leadership Development certificate in 2016. She lives in Wilkes-Barre with her three children, Elizabeth, Emily and Will..