Leashia Lewis serves as an Assistant Athletic Director for UNITAS - Community, Culture and Engagement and ADID (Athletic Diversity and Inclusion Designee) at Villanova, a position she's held since August of 2021.
In this role, Lewis directs Villanova's Athletics UNITAS: Community, Culture and Engagement, a framework to build a welcoming and supportive athletic department through constructive dialogues, educational programming and community engagement.
Prior to returning to her alma mater, Lewis worked as a certified secondary school counselor at Conestoga High since 2004. At Conestoga, Lewis co-founded the Navigate Program designed for minority students and serviced as one of the school district's equity affiliates. In that role, she trained faculty and staff and supported the district's systemic anti-racist policies, procedures and practices.Â
Leashia previously served as an adjunct professor at Villanova, co-facilitates topical courses within the Center for the Dialogue, is a current board member of VU's Varsity Club Hall of Fame for Athletics and the Villanova University Black Alumni Association.
One of three leaders at Villanova named as the Visible Shining Star award, since the start of her work in athletics Leashia has developed a UNITAS staff leadership team that supports the systemic and operational work of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in athletics. Each of these diversity officers support and uplift programming, events and UNITAS student-athlete groups. Further, she has presented or led workshops at over 18 events at Villanova and across the country.
Lewis received a Bachelor's degree from Villanova in 2000 as a double major in Sociology and Human Services while minoring in Africana Studies, Education and Philosophy, then earned a Master of Science in Secondary Counseling from VU in 2002.
Leashia was an All-American on Villanova's track and field team during her undergraduate tenure, earning multiple BIG EAST championships and a Penn Relays first place finish as the 400 meter leg of the distance medley relay.
