Leslie Goodman
Leslie Goodman is the current Executive Vice President, Worldwide Public Affairs for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. She is a former Republican political strategist, communications consultant and broadcast journalist.
Early life and career
Leslie was born in 1959 to New York State Senator Roy Goodman. She grew up in New York City and graduated from Stanford University in 1981 with a degree in Broadcast Communications.
Returning to New York after college, she went to work as a newswriter and reporter for WCBS-TV for a couple of years before freelancing as a television producer and media consultant for a public relations firm.
Political career
In 1986, Leslie went to work in the Reagan administration as Associate Commissioner for Governmental Affairs at the Social Security Administration. She also worked as a press advance representative for the White House.
In 1988, she hit the campaign trail as Director of Media Outreach for the Bush/Quayle campaign. After the successful election, she was appointed press secretary of the Republican National Committee by Chairman Lee Atwater. She served in that position until Chairman Atwater's death in 1991.
She was Director of Communications for the United States Information Agency from 1991-1992, and Deputy Communications Director for the Bush/Quayle re-election campaign in 1992. After Bush and Quayle failed to win re-election, Leslie went to work as Vice President of Media Relations for the United States Chamber of Commerce for less than a year.
In late 1993, she headed back to California to takeover as Director of Communications for Governor Pete Wilson. She took a brief leave of absence in 1996, when she was chosen for a fellowship at Harvard University's School of Politics. As part of the fellowship, she conducted a study group on political communications.
After Wilson left office in January 1999, Leslie formed her own public affairs consulting group, where she provided strategy to political campaigns and policy advocates. Her most noteworthy assignment came in 2000, when she was appointed Director of Communications for the Republican National Convention.
Disney
In 2001, Leslie was hired by the Walt Disney Company to serve as Senior VP of Strategic Communications for the Parks and Resorts division.
Under Leslie's leadership, the first ever Report on Safety was produced.
In 2005, she was promoted to Executive Vice President, Worldwide Public Affairs, Parks and Resorts.
References
http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/parks_resorts/exe_bios/leslieGoodman.html