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Gloria Jackson-Leathers

Senior Advisor to the President
Gloria Jackson-Leathers

Gloria Jackson-Leathers is senior advisor to the president, community engagement at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

She is responsible for fostering and enhancing relationships between the Foundation and the diverse communities it serves. As key advisor on community engagement, Jackson-Leathers provides vision, direction, and oversight to advance the Foundation’s initiatives.

Before her current role, Jackson-Leathers served as vice president, Kansas City Civic, which was established to support key Kansas City assets, including museums, libraries, and other historical institutions. She created and/or led initiatives to address the digital divide; established an out-of-school portfolio, the Catalyst Fund in collaboration with the United Way, and the Pre-Development Loan Fund with the Local Initiative Support Corp (LISC); supported and served on the KC Regional Covid Relief Fund Committee; and countless other efforts to improve outcomes for low- and moderate-income individuals and neighborhoods in Kansas City.

Jackson-Leathers played a key role in the formation of Kauffman Scholars, Inc., KC Freedom Schools, KC STEM Alliance, Maker Faire KC, NPC Executive Directors Institute, and Oakridge Development Corporation in KCKS.

Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Jackson-Leathers worked for many years in the banking industry as a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and as a community reinvestment act officer with Commerce Bank of Kansas City.

Jackson-Leathers holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration – management from Park University and a master’s degree in public administration from the Bloch School of Public Administration at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She is a graduate of both the Kauffman FastTrac New Ventures program and the Civic Council’s Kansas City Tomorrow Leadership Development Program, as well as the Kellogg Foundation Fundraising and Marketing program.

Jackson-Leathers is currently on the board of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Foundation and is a University of Missouri – Kansas City Black Alumni Association member. She is a former commissioner of the Greater Kansas City Housing Authority and former board member of Visit KC as well as the Ewing Marion Kauffman School.

Recognition and Committes

  • Lift Her Up Movement, Lift Her Up Honoree (2026)
  • Nonprofit Connect, Catalyst Award (2025)
  • Oakridge Community Development – Carrying the Flame Award (2022)
  • Ford – Unsung Heroes Award (2015)
  • United Minority Media Association – Time Well Spent Award (2009)
  • Plaza Rotary Club, RISE Business Award, Judge (Rotary Investing & Supporting Equity)
  • Boy Scouts of America Council, Selection Committee for the Kauffman Distinguished Eagle Award, and NOESA (National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award)
  • Visit KC, Visitor Influencer Program
  • UMKC Levitt Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, Judge
  • Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award, Judge
  • Johns Hopkins School of Education – Center for Summer Learning Programs Certification of Participation
  • Kellogg School of Management – Executive Education Programs, Fundraising and Marketing Committee
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