Dr. Leslie Wheaton, the lead consultant and founder of Aligned Direction, has three decades of experience providing leadership, support, and guidance to individuals, teams, organizations, and educational systems.  Her personal and professional background has enabled Leslie to develop and hone her expertise through diverse avenues.  Leslie is a proven team leader -- first as a high level athlete, then as an educator and administrator, and ultimately as an engagement strategist.  She brings to the table an openness to learning and unique insight in today’s world, influenced by her educational, personal, and professional experiences throughout the United States and abroad.  Her experiences with different ethnicities, cultures, and perspectives have influenced her understanding of how to authentically benefit those she serves through building relational capacity.  She is passionate about brain research and the science of learning, which she incorporates into each of the services Aligned Direction offers.  She is adamant about continuing to support individuals of all ages and in different stages through the process of acquiring knowledge and the various skills necessary to successfully engage with and navigate life.

Dr. Leslie Wheaton created Aligned Direction to be part of the solution for how to change the health and well-being of schools and of the workforce, which go hand-in-hand. She believes the foundation for all of learning and success is about engagement. As such, Leslie has diversified her expertise to include developing and redefining educational and organizational structures and systems that support stronger leadership, richer educational opportunities, and the internalization and application of strategies.  During her career, Leslie has presented on national and international stages on various topics including but not limited to engagement, learning theory, alignment, and self-realization.  She has extensive experience working with and teaching individuals of all ages within the respective corporate and educational sectors.  Leslie’s goal is to develop, support, empower, and educate individuals and organizational teams working in both the educational and private and public sectors by providing them with the engagement strategies needed to successfully reach goals and desired outcomes.

Dr. Leslie Wheaton holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Education from San Francisco State University and the University of Washington respectively.  Her administrative credential is from the University of Washington’s Danforth Program.  Each of her degrees has concentrations/focuses in neuroscience and policy analysis. She received her Educational Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California.