Mary Ellen Leonard

Mary Ellen Leonard, CPA, is a seasoned financial executive with over three decades of experience spanning public accounting, private industry, and municipal finance. Since 2016, she has served as the Director of Fiscal Services for the City of College Station, Texas, overseeing a $550 million annual operating and capital budget and leading a team of approximately 80 employees across multiple departments, including accounting, purchasing, budgeting, utility customer service, and municipal court.

Leonard earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas A&M University in 1986 and has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant since 1988. She began her career with a 12-year tenure at one of the world's largest public accounting firms, gaining extensive experience in financial reporting and consulting. Subsequently, she led financial operations for various organizations, including start-ups, private family businesses, and global enterprises in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, wholesale distribution, services, sports, and transportation. Notably, she served as Chief Financial Officer for both Devereux Hospital and GBB Hospitality Group, LLC, where she directed financial strategy and operations for a 350-bed behavioral health facility and a multi-state restaurant chain, respectively.

In addition to her municipal role, Leonard contributes to academia as a Lecturer in the James Benjamin Department of Accounting at Texas A&M University's Mays Business School. She teaches Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Leonard is actively involved in the Aggie community, serving as Vice President of Finance for the Brazos County A&M Club. Her husband, a former NASA project manager, is also an industry professor at Texas A&M. They have three adult children, all Texas A&M graduates, and one grandson.