Drisha Lee Leggitt Executive Director
2012 Executive Director Report
Drisha Leggitt is the Executive Director of the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD). In this role, Leggitt manages a statewide association of over 4,000 members, professionals and education partners that are committed to the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles and continued physical education and kinetics.
Prior to accepting the position of CAHPERD Executive Director, Leggitt was a multi-award-winning Marketing and Communications professional with over 15-years of experience promoting corporations, businesses, school districts and nonprofit organizations, as both an agency principal and a corporate executive. In fact, Leggitt was selected as Sacramento’s 1998 “Public Relations Professional of the Year" and was twice nominated to be the “National Public Relations Professional of the Year.” Leggitt was also named the 1993 “Business Volunteer of the Year.” And she earned the 2001 “Presidents Community Volunteer Award,” presented by President George W. Bush and the Points of Light Foundation.
As the Worldwide Corporate Community & Public Relations Manager for Agilent Technologies, Inc., Leggitt was responsible for developing all policies and procedures for the administration of Agilent community and public relations within the corporation - serving 120 countries and 48,000 employees worldwide. Leggitt directed all international site donation procedures and programs, Agilent employee and retiree community volunteerism, Agilent’s corporate United Way and other company-wide campaigns, event sponsorships and implementation, site-related branding and marketing programs, and Agilent's signature pre-University program "Agilent AfterSchool", among others.
Leggitt was promoted to her position at Agilent from her position as the Community Relations Manager for the Sacramento-Area Hewlett-Packard Company. At that time, Leggitt and her volunteer team increased HP employee volunteerism over 750% in less than three years, as well as increased positive regional media coverage for the company by over 200%.
Prior to HP, Leggitt was the Assistant Director - Marketing, Public Relations and Fund Development for the Discovery Museums of Sacramento. And as a Senior Account Manager for multi-award winning public relations, marketing and advertising firm, C.W. Crocker Communications (now known as Astone/Crocker/Flanagan), Leggitt developed and implemented campaigns for the Sacramento Children’s Festival, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, Roseville Chamber of Commerce, Dairy Queen, Mason Paint Company and Crawdads River Cantina, among others.
Throughout her career, Leggitt has received awards for excellence in Community and Public Relations from USA Today/USA Weekend Magazine, two international "Gold Quill" Awards from the International Association of Business Communicators, six international "Clarion" Communication Awards of Excellence from the Association for Women in Communications, a national “Silver Anvil Award of Excellence” from the Public Relations Society of America, the “Corporate Citizenship Associate Award” from the Council of State Governments, a Rotary International “Excellence in Public Relations Award,” a National “Nonprofit PR Award” from PR News Magazine, and over 75 Sacramento Public Relations Association “Cappie” Awards of Excellence and IABC regional “Crystal” Awards of Excellence.
Leggitt has a Master of Arts Degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Chico in Communications with a Public Relations emphasis, and received post-graduate certifications from the University of Indiana and Boston College.
Leggitt has been an instructor and presenter for the Points of Light Foundation, the United States Department of Education, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, the University of Phoenix and Northern California's Nonprofit Resource Center, teaching communications, marketing, public relations and volunteer program/skill development. She is frequently invited to act as guest lecturer for communications-related classes at California State University, Sacramento, California State University, Chico and Golden Gate University. She has also recently been recruited by Rotary District 5180 (serving California’s Central Valley), to provide PR training and presentations to its clubs.
Leggitt maintains affiliations or board positions with the following organizations: United Way of America, Public Relations Society of America, International Association of Business Communicators, Sacramento Area Public Relations Association, International Association of Volunteer Effort, the Business and Arts Commission, Rotary International, Active 20-30 USA & Canada, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Greater Sacramento, the National Society of Fundraising Executives, and the California Society of Association Executives, among others. 
