Leocadia I. Zak

Leocadia I. Zak became the ninth president of Agnes Scott College in July 2018. During Zak’s tenure, Agnes Scott has focused on liberal arts education and professional success, launched graduate programs, and been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for innovation, teaching, first-year experience, and social mobility.

Previously, Zak was a partner at the international law firm Mintz Levin, where she practiced international and domestic project finance law in the Boston and Washington, DC, offices. She has extensive background in international economic development and international project finance. In 2010, Zak was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate to serve as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, an independent federal agency that advances economic development and US commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Zak earned a JD degree from Northeastern University School of Law. Zak hosts an inspiring leadership-centered podcast, Journeys to Leadership, which spotlights the stories of successful women leaders from around the globe. She has taught international project finance as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University Law Center and Boston University School of Law.