Leslie Weibush Receives Alumni of the Year Award at Franklin University’s 181st Commencement

Contact:

Chelsey Lloyd
Associate Director of Public Relations
(614) 947-6047
Email: chelsey.lloyd@franklin.edu

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults in central Ohio, celebrated its 181st Commencement on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, recognizing the accomplishments of its graduates and honoring the recipient of its Alumni of the Year Award for exceptional service and impact of the University and its students.

This year, the University presented the Alumni of the Year Award to Leslie Weibush. Leslie is a strategic, execution-focused technical program leader with deep experience driving complex, multi-team initiatives across AI, data infrastructure, enterprise IT and large-scale operational programs. She brings clarity to complexity, aligning diverse stakeholders, translating technical work into measurable outcomes, and delivering programs from vision through execution.

In her current role as a technical program manager at Ensono, Leslie partners with AI/ML engineers, data teams, software developers and operations leaders to deliver high-impact, AI-first programs. She brings structure to technical initiatives by defining program strategy, clarifying scope, establishing governance, and ensuring sustained alignment across cross-functional teams.

Leslie’s previous roles include AI project manager at Meta and director of special projects for the CIO at The Ohio State University. Her deep understanding of academic compliance, governance and processes provided a foundation for success in positions supporting accreditation and online accessibility at Ohio State, as well as at Franklin University.

Outside of her professional work, Leslie serves on the Franklin University Alumni Board, is the president of her subdivision’s homeowners association, and volunteers with the New Albany Food Pantry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Franklin and an associate degree in business management from Columbus State Community College. She also completed the Big Ten Academic Alliance MOR Associates IT Leadership Program and the New Albany Chamber Leadership Program.

Congratulations Leslie!

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).