Biography
The VP for Finance and Administration is a pivotal role that oversees Oberlin’s Finance and Investment offices, Facilities Operations and Planning, and the Center for Information Technology. The position is part of Oberlin President Carmen Twillie Ambar’s Executive Leadership Team.
From 2019 to 2024, Leal served as Associate Dean for Budget and Administration at American University, where he was the chief financial and operating officer for the College of Arts and Sciences, overseeing 19 departments and more than 500 employees. During his tenure, he developed a budget strategy to address a 35 percent reduction in the operating budget during COVID while preserving jobs.
Most recently, Leal was Vice President for Administration and Finance/Treasurer at Delaware County Community College in suburban Philadelphia, where he led all administrative and business operations. He previously held senior administration and finance roles at Howard University and the University of California, Berkeley.
Before transitioning to higher ed, Leal was an interim Chief Financial Officer with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Chief Operating Officer for the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, and he spent 14 years in a range of administrative positions with the U.S. Air Force.
Leal is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Arizona.
