A native of northeast Arkansas, Leah has returned to her home state after spending time in the Northwest. She completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Washington State University in 1999, and a residency in anatomic pathology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2003. She is currently employed as a research assistant professor at UAMS. She is an avid environmentalist and an outspoken Progressive. In addition to her work with the Earth Day Foundation, Leah also serves on the board of directors of the Arkansas Earth Institute. Her long-term goal, to begin a non-profit organization that ultimately will provide low-cost, quality childcare to the working poor, stems from a firm conviction that environmental issues are directly linked to social inequality.