Leane Marchese

About Leane

• I grew up in Encinitas, California, and spent a lot of time working with kids in summer camps and at community recreation facilities.
• After high school, I went to community college and then transferred to a four-year university—I started as a business major but switched to outdoor recreation because it was a better fit for me.
• I worked for two years as a teen nightclub program director for the YMCA before going back to school for my master’s degree in recreation and leisure studies.
• After graduating, I built my career and gained experience managing various nonprofit community-based programs and organizations.
• I eventually made my way back to the YMCA and worked as an executive director building a brand new YMCA in San Diego’s Pacific Beach—at the time, I thought it was my dream job.
• When COVID-19 hit, raising funds for a new YMCA was no longer a priority and I had to give that job up.
• On the bright side, it allowed me to take on the executive director role for Life Science Cares San Diego.
• With Life Science Cares, I got to start a new, innovative way to engage with the community through corporate giving and volunteer engagement.