Spring Valley Elementary District inducts Christopher Leonard to hall of fame

The Spring Valley C.C.S.D. Foundation announced its 2025 hall of fame inductee Christopher Leonard.

Leonard was born and raised in Spring Valley. He attended Lincoln Elementary School through the fourth grade, after which he transferred to and attended John F. Kennedy School. Growing up, Leonard was an altar boy at St. George Orthodox Church, where he was involved in the local community. He excelled in local youth sports and participated in community theater at Stage 212. While at JFK, he enjoyed playing flag football and youth tackle football. He also participated in basketball, where he was a starter and earned multiple awards. In track and field, he qualified for the state competition in the 4x400 meter relay in eighth grade. As the anchor leg of the relay team, they placed fourth in the state.

Leonard also was involved in swing choir, speech team and musicals during his time at JFK. He is grateful for the guidance and support he received from Coach Jack Boroski, Coach Jim Smoode, Coach Randy Tieman, Coach John Hansen, Coach Bruce Gualandri, Patricia Narczewski, Frank Marzetta, Kathy Sarver and Carol Visocky.

After graduating from JFK, Leonard attended St. Bede Academy, where he continued to excel in football, track and musicals. As a senior, he was part of the football team that upset 2-seed Elmwood-Brimfield Coop in the 2003 IHSA 3A playoffs. Leonard opened the second half with an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, sparking a 28-0 scoring run for St. Bede. As a defensive starter, he helped shut out the highly ranked opponent in the second half, securing a 47-27 victory. He also was the anchor leg of the 4x200 meter relay team, which won first place in the Tri-County Conference. Leonard was honored with the Senior Band Member of the Year award for his contributions as a bass guitarist. Additionally, he founded the chess team at St. Bede, which defeated La Salle-Peru High School in its inaugural match. During his time at St. Bede, Leonard was inspired by Cathi Nelson and Joan Jobst to pursue a career in psychology. It was at St. Bede that he met his future wife, Melissa (Newton) Leonard of Peru.

Upon graduating from St. Bede in 2004, Leonard attended Quincy University, where he majored in psychology and graduated Magna Cum Laude. At Quincy, he was the president of his Delta Tau Delta fraternity chapter, and he also began volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. During his time at Quincy, he developed a passion for psychology, which motivated him to pursue a doctorate in the field. He was particularly inspired by Wendy Beller and David Edgerly, his psychology professors.

After graduating from Quincy University in 2008, Leonard attended Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, an APA-accredited institution, where he earned both a Master of Arts in clinical psychology and a doctor of psychology. While at Spalding, he began presenting at state, regional and national conferences on various psychology topics and research. His clinical experience included working at university counseling centers, a community mental health crisis center, a state psychiatric hospital, a state prison, a children’s residential treatment facility and a community mental health center. Leonard completed his APA-accredited doctoral internship at the Wichita Collaborative Psychology Internship Program at Wichita State University’s Counseling and Psychological Services in Wichita, Kansas. He is thankful for the mentorship and guidance provided by Brenda Nash during his time at Spalding. He also is grateful for Lily Lai who as a graduate school classmate became a trusted colleague to this day.

After receiving his doctor of Psychology in 2014, Leonard was hired as a staff psychologist at Wichita State University, where he has spent the past 10 years progressing from intern to staff psychologist, then to associate director and finally director of CAPS. He has mentored and supervised more than 38 individuals working toward licensure or advanced licenses, including licensed masters social workers, professional counselors, masters-level psychologists and psychologists.

In 2022, he was selected to serve a three-year term on the Center for Collegiate Mental Health National Advisory Board. In 2024, he was chosen to serve a two-year term on the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board Licensed Psychology Advisory Committee. Leonard regularly presents on psychology ethics and has published and presented on other topics in the field. His areas of professional interest include supervision/training, outreach, anxiety and depression, group therapy, crisis intervention and men’s issues. He has volunteered with BBBS for several years and has coached his sons’ sports teams.

One of Leonard’s greatest passions is his work as a co-founder of Suspenders4Hope, a suicide prevention training program that has been adopted by universities, local and regional industries across the United States. Suspenders4Hope has trained more than 8,000 individuals in ways to prevent and support people in suicidal crisis.

Outside of work, Leonard is a passionate Chicago Bears fan who enjoys golfing, running and cherishing time with his family. His deep passion for movies stems from growing up while working at his parent’s video store, Video Vision. He and his wife, Melissa, are parents to two children, Harrison and Grant Leonard, who continue to inspire him every day. He is grateful for their unwavering love and support, he said. Leonard also thanks the Newton and Killen families for their kindness and encouragement.

The importance of family was instilled in him at a young age from his grandparents Elaine Leonard and Edward and Sadie Malooley. Leonard has drawn inspiration from his older brother, Nicholas, and his sister, Angelena, whose influence sparked his interest in the arts during school. He is thankful for his younger brother, Gabriel, whose constant support, and shared passion for music have been a source of joy. As an uncle to seven nieces and nephews, Leonard values the close-knit family bonds he shares with his loved ones and the support from his Leonard, Malooley and Maloley relatives.

Most importantly, Leonard is grateful to his parents, Kim and Jeannie, for their guidance, support and belief in him. Their encouragement has empowered him to achieve more than he ever thought possible, he said.