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REMEMBERING “VCPL” PAT LEONARD
Remembering “VCPL”
A self-described “ordinary person” who inspired extraordinary student experiences.
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By Venita Jenkins
During her countless addresses to students through the years, Vice Chancellor Pat Leonard frequently shared this quote: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” For more than three decades, VC Leonard embodied those words through her work in student affairs at UNCW and in her service to the Wilmington community. She developed programs to foster a sense of community while also lending her talents to help others beyond the campus borders by serving on numerous advisory councils and boards at local and national levels. VC Leonard, fondly known as “VCPL” by thousands of students, passed away peacefully in her Carolina Beach home on June 2.
Pat Leonard loved working with students. Here, she is seen interacting with leaders from the UNCWelcome program in 2016.
- Susan Vanecek, Pat Leonard’s wife
A first-generation college student, VC Leonard became involved in student affairs as an undergraduate at Misericordia University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Pennsylvania. It was through her experience as a resident assistant that she made the connection between student engagement and student success. This led her to pursue her master’s degree in college student personnel administration at Michigan State University.
She began her career in higher education as a residence life coordinator at UNC Charlotte. She later joined Miami University of Ohio as an area coordinator and instructor before joining UNCW in 1983 as the associate dean of students. At the time, UNCW was considered a “suitcase campus” with 28 buildings and limited co-curricular programs for students.
“She was determined to change the culture of the campus, to make it more residential, to create traditions and to provide students with a more fully rounded collegiate experience,” said Susan Vanecek, Vice Chancellor Leonard’s wife.
Over the next 37 years, VC Leonard focused on building developmental and educational opportunities to help Seahawks not only grow and excel during their time at UNCW but also after they left. She adopted the motto for the division, “Creating Experiences for Life,” to convey her staff’s commitment to helping students develop strong, positive habits to carry with them long after their days at UNCW.
Vice Chancellor Leonard created traditions that became ingrained in the university’s culture, including the muchbeloved Move-In event, when hundreds of campus and community volunteers help first-year students move into the residence halls, and “Teal Tuesday,” a moniker for a day of the week dedicated to celebrating Seahawk spirit. The vice chancellor also sought personal ways to engage students, like monthly breakfasts with Student Government Association leaders and cornhole games with students on Hoggard Lawn. “Pat was an extraordinary person who considered herself quite ordinary, and there will never be another like her,” said Chancellor Sartarelli.
She was as tenacious and dedicated to her efficacy as an administrator as she was to her student Seahawks. VC Leonard played an integral role in planning and managing construction projects that transformed the UNCW campus. She oversaw 20 major projects, including seven housing projects and nine student support buildings, as well as the Student Recreation Center, Fisher Student Center, Fisher University Union, the Burney Center and the Warwick Center.
Pat Leonard stands next to Director of Housing and Residence Life Peter Groenendyk at UNCW’s official groundbreaking ceremony for the Student Housing Village on February 7, 2019
“Many buildings on this campus didn’t just spring up around Pat during her decades here,” read the campus announcement of her passing. “They sprang up because of her vision and her collaboration with others, and because of her fierce and unwavering commitment to giving our students every possible opportunity to learn, grow, create their path and solidify their purpose.”
In February 2019, university officials broke ground on the new Student Housing Village, a $147 million project that will house 1,814 students. Two buildings are scheduled for completion in the fall of 2020 and the two remaining buildings in the fall of 2021. The village was among the last projects VC Leonard oversaw.
The 65,000-square-foot Student Recreation Center, built in 2000, was among the projects VC Leonard was most proud of, said James R. Leutze, who served as chancellor from 1990-2003. The former recreation facility, Hanover Hall Gym, was a 50-foot by 20-foot room with an exercise bike, some iron weights and a few other pieces of equipment, he explained. A major expansion and renovation of the Student Recreation Center, funded by student fees, was completed in 2013, which more than doubled the size of the facility.
“Pat leaves a concrete legacy in bricks and mortar, but I think that she has established the principle of the significance of students to the university. For many people, the students are not the first priority,” said Leutze. Construction, new programs, more faculty or more fundraising often get increased attention. “Pat kept it constantly in our minds that the students are our first priority; we are here to serve the students.”
Shane Fernando ’00 agreed. “She believed fully in the ability of what a student can achieve given the right tools and support structure. That’s an amazing legacy that she left. I know she changed my life.”
About 90 percent of UNCW alumni graduated during VC Leonard’s tenure at UNCW. A majority met her at orientation or heard her speak at convocation, student leaders’ meetings or events.
VC Leonard was present in many areas on campus. She helped create spaces for several cultural centers and helped create living and learning communities in the residence halls. Under her leadership, the CARE office (Collaboration for Assault Response & Education) received national recognition, and UNCW was one of 18 universities recognized among 2017 and 2020’s “Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs,” according to a national study conducted by and commissioned by the American College Personnel Association and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.
Her record of service and dedication to UNCW and its students was recognized in 2019 when she received the William C. Friday Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Student Governments of NC. Those who worked under VC Leonard describe her as a consummate mentor not only to her staff, but also to students and community members.
Cole Tillett ’20, who served as Student Government President during the 2018-19 academic year, nominated Vice Chancellor Leonard to receive the William C. Friday Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Working with her, I was amazed that someone had so much empathy and concern for students,” Tillet said. “VCPL was everything you could want in an administrator and friend. She led by example and was able to show me how to become a leader, how to learn, listen and to be someone who can make effective change.”
“She encouraged people to do their very best wherever they were, whatever group, community or business they were engaged in,” said Brian Victor, former associate vice chancellor for student affairs under VC Leonard and now serves as interim vice chancellor for the division.
Vice Chancellor Leonard’s commitment to community extended beyond the UNCW campus. In January 2019, she was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to serve on the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council. She served on the UNC General Administration Campus Safety Initiative Work Group, and worked as a consultant to the United States Department of Education on various student issues. In her role as a national leader in student affairs, she spoke at local and national conferences on topics such as substance abuse, student behavior and violence against women.
Her volunteer work in the Wilmington community included serving on the New Hanover Regional Medical Center board for 13 years, where she chaired the board’s Quality Committee and was instrumental in the medical center’s growth of service. She also played a significant role in the founding of Coastal Horizons, a private, nonprofit corporation that offers substance abuse, crisis intervention and criminal justice services to persons in need throughout North Carolina.
Wilma W. Daniels, who served on the UNCW Board of Trustees from 2008 until 2019, described VC Leonard as a caring, loving person who motivated people and was always willing to lend a helping hand.
“Pat had such a caring spirit about her and it came through in her actions, the way she handled things and how she treated people,” said Daniels. “That’s the legacy that she has left behind: live with purpose and do what you can to make a difference.”
This article is an excerpt from a longer, more in-depth piece, which can be read on a special website highlighting Vice Chancellor Leonard’s impact on UNCW, found at uncw.edu/VCPL. Pat’s wish to establish The Vice Chancellor Pat Leonard Legacy of Excellence Fund will provide support for future generations of Seahawk leaders. To learn more about how you can make a gift in her honor, visit giving.uncw.edu/vcpl.
- Wilma W. Daniels, UNCW Board of Trustees member 2008-19
Pat Leonard stands next to Director of Housing and Residence Life Peter Groenendyk at UNCW’s official groundbreaking ceremony for the Student Housing Village on February 7, 2019
