Leyna founded Leadership Search Partners (now Brakeley Search) in 2009, and continues to be involved as an advisor on client engagements and in business development. She also provides board and CEO coaching and consulting to Brakeley Search clients. Leyna has over 20 years of experience as a coach, trainer and trusted advisor to nonprofit leaders, and works with executives and boards to strengthen their partnerships and improve leadership and governance skills.

Leyna’s first career was in the national retail sector as a human resources executive. She served in senior corporate HR leadership roles with The Nature Company, The Gap, Inc., and Smith & Hawken. In 1996 Leyna was hired by The Management Center to create an HR consulting practice for Northern California nonprofits. Promoted to Director of Consulting Services, she managed a consulting team providing executive search, human resources and organizational development consulting to hundreds of nonprofit organizations. Prior to starting Leadership Search Parterns, Leyna also served as Program Director for the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, and Director of Programs for the CBO Center.

Leyna is the founder of Women on Board, a peer learning network for women board leaders. She has served on the boards of Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Congregation Beth El, the Jewish Film Institute, and the Women’s Philharmonic. She is the author of “Creating Your Employee Handbook: A Do-It-Yourself Kit for Nonprofits”, published by Jossey Bass. She graduated with honors from the University of California at Berkeley.

Leyna lives with her husband in Spokane, WA.