Dr. Jennifer Leslie obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Florida International University. She then developed an interest in the legal aspect of healthcare. Accepted into 6 law schools including University of Florida, St. Thomas University, and Nova South Eastern University, she selected University of Miami as her law school of choice. While maintaining a home and family, she obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law. In 2009, she was introduced to health care activism and became part of the national health care discussion. She then applied and was accepted into the Florida International University Master of Public Health/Health Policy Management program, where she took classes one at a time and graduated in 2015. Dr. Leslie continued to sharpen her expertise in the field of health care by gaining acceptance into Nova Southeastern University’s DHSc. program and earning her Doctor of Health Science degree.

Dr. Leslie initially worked at the Florida Department of Health in Miami Dade County with Chief Legal Counsel Mort Laitner, as well as, the Public Defender’s office, the State Attorney’s office, and at the law firm of Ford, Domnick, & Wolf in Miami. She then returned to the health system and specialized in the administrative and educational aspects of acute and long-term care.

Dr. Leslie has served in Florida as a member of the FNPAC Board of Trustees. In 2010, she served as a nationally elected ANA-IMD Delegate, where she attended Washington, DC, participated in by-law amendments and conference hearings, and shook the hands of the most powerful man in the world at that time – newly elected President Barack Obama.

Dr. Leslie served as Vice-Chair of Toastmasters International in Plantation, Florida. In 2010, she accomplished her first medical mission by traveling to Haiti and saving lives under the AMHE Earthquake Relief Efforts. While there, she met with the First Lady of Haiti-the President’s wife and other dignitaries. In 2010, Dr. Leslie was appointed as Chairperson of the Florida House of Representatives District 108 Health Task Force, then in 2016, she was appointed to serve as Chair of the Florida Senate District 38 Health Task Force. In October 2017, she was appointed Senate Health Advisor for Florida Senate District 38.

Dr. Jennifer Leslie has made documented history as the first Jamaican/American woman to have held the title as Health Task Force Chair for both legislative chambers – Florida House of Representatives District 108, as well as, The Florida Senate District 38. Following that, in January 2018, she was appointed to the highest position of service for Florida Senate District 38 – President of the Advisory Board.

As President of the Senate District 38 Advisory Board, Dr. Leslie’s role included the oversight of twelve task forces throughout fifteen municipalities: (1) Education & Civic Engagement; (2) Healthcare; (3) Jobs, Economic Development & Tourism; (4) Social Services for Elderly, Families, and the Homeless; (5) Senior Citizens; (6) Justice & Law Enforcement; (7) Affordable Housing; (8) Youth Development & Protection; (9) Communications & Media; (10) Climate Change & Environmental Protection; (11) Faith-Based Initiatives; and (12) Culture, Sports, Foreign Affairs & Special Events. Dr. Leslie’s regional advisory role spanned over fifteen cities and towns: (1) Miami Beach, (2) Aventura, (3) Sunny Isles Beach, (4) Golden Beach, (5) North Miami Beach, (6) North Miami, (7) Bal Harbour, (8) Bay Harbor Islands, (9) Biscayne Park, (10) Indian Creek Village, (11) Town of Surfside, (12) Miami Shores Village, (13) Village of El Portal, (14) North Bay Village, and (15) Miami.

In September 2018, Dr. Jennifer Leslie was appointed as one of five Regional Volunteer Leads for Palm Beach County under the campaign of Candidate for Florida Governor, Andrew Gillum. She was then recruited by the Florida Democratic Party as Field Organizer for the Gubernatorial Coordinated Campaign. As an organizer, Dr. Leslie was responsible for twenty-nine precincts in Palm Beach County: Precinct 7172, 7160, 3042, 7158, 3066, 4008, 3068, 7170, 3064, 7166, 3038, 3078, 7168, 3040, 3076, 3074, 3058, 7164, 7176, 4004, 7174, 3060, 4006, 3062, 7178, 4002, 3036, 3075, and 7162. Her organizing success contributed to an overwhelming county win: Dems 328,655 vs. GOP 234,053.

Dr. Leslie has initiated and led major projects such as job fairs, community health fairs, advisory board meetings, legislative policy update meetings, healthcare town hall sessions, foreign medical missions, a women’s new business/entrepreneurial initiative, and an affordable housing workshop. She has also had major accomplishments, including drafting and introducing healthcare legislative bills that have passed through several committees.

In 2017, Dr. Leslie founded the Healthcare Broadcast Channel Corporation of Florida. Through her organization’s internet shows and in collaboration with key community figures, she shone light on healthcare issues, such, stroke, hypertension, the lack of health insurance, and national hospital staffing shortage. The newly restructured and renamed non-profit organization, now called Universe of Hope, Inc. is now focused on both local and global health issues, including human trafficking. In 2021, she led the charge on publishing an open letter to officials at the United Nations’ World Health Organization. Following that, Dr. Leslie led a launch for a call to action to the United Nations’ World Health Organization for the organization to help human trafficking victims worldwide. The call to action was for WHO to add a specific diagnostic code for human trafficking to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system, and to place emphasis on the need for intervention by the World Health Assembly.

In 2018, Dr. Jennifer Leslie authored and published her first scholarly peer-reviewed journal article, titled “Human Trafficking: Clinical Assessment Guideline,” which is accessible at the NIH National Library of Medicine (PubMed.gov). The intent was for readers to learn the red flags of a potential victim and take proactive steps to prevent further harm. The article has been read by over 700 readers and has been cited by more than eleven researchers, including university professors.  In 2021, she wrote and published another journal article, titled “Identification of Human Trafficking – World Leaders and Health Institutions.” It is accessible in the SCIREA Journal of Clinical Medicine. The article highlights policy perspectives that world leaders could implement to advance human trafficking identification. She also wrote and published her first book, titled “Higher.” She currently serves on two editorial boards: she is an editorial board member for the Journal of Human Physiology of the Bilingual Publishing Co., and an editorial board member for the American Journal of Nursing Science of the Science Publishing Group. In early 2019, Dr. Leslie was invited as a speaker for the “6^th World Congress on ANHC” as well as other events. She is the founder of a non-profit organization dedicated to global health awareness.

Dr. Jennifer Leslie has been honored with a Proclamation by the Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. In June 2017, she earned a Change-Maker Award in Palm Beach County. Months later, in November 2017, she received an International Woman Empowerment Award. In January 2018, she was honored with a Distinguished Community Leader Award, and a few months later, in October 2018, Dr. Leslie was honored with a Florida Senate Proclamation, recognizing her for her contribution to community service, human rights, and health care policies. On December 19, 2021, she was honored by South Florida Legacy as South Florida’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry for 2021, which was published in the Miami Herald Newspaper, as well as, the SunSentinel Newspaper. One week later, on December 29, Dr. Leslie was featured as a “Daily Inspiration” in Miami’s Most Inspiring Stories section of VoyageMIA magazine.