Board of Visitors promotes Leah Schonfeld to vice president for human resources

The Citadel Board of Visitors voted during a meeting last week to promote Leah Schonfeld, SPHR, to vice president for human resources.

Schonfeld previously served as the college’s assistant vice president for human resources. In that position, she reported to the vice president for finance and business. With this promotion, Schonfeld joins the other Citadel senior leaders who report directly to The Citadel President Gen. Frank McKenzie, USMC (Ret.), ’79.

“The Citadel is a great academic institution because of our faculty and staff, and for more than a decade, Leah has been responsible for the recruiting, training and retention of that team,” said McKenzie. “Elevating Leah and Human Resources within our leadership structure reflects how central that work is to the strength and future of the college.”

Schonfeld has served as The Citadel’s chief human resources officer. She provides strategic direction for the college’s human resources operations, including employee recruitment and retention, compensation and classification, benefits, employee relations, professional development and workplace policies.

During her tenure, The Citadel has expanded efforts to recruit and support military veterans as members of the faculty and staff. The college was most recently ranked the No. 9 Military Friendly Employer for 2026 among government and nonprofit organizations.

In her new role, Schonfeld will continue overseeing Human Resources and working directly with McKenzie and other members of the college’s senior leadership. Her priorities will include strengthening the employee experience, supporting professional development and ensuring The Citadel remains competitive in attracting and retaining talented faculty and staff.

Before joining The Citadel, Schonfeld worked as a human resources consultant with the South Carolina Department of Administration. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina. She also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources certification.

Schonfeld was selected to serve a three-year term on the national board of directors for the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. She previously served for 10 years on the association’s South Carolina Chapter board and eight years on its Southern Region board, including a term as regional chair in 2021-22. She has also served as a volunteer human resources advisor to the South Carolina Federal Credit Union Board.