Leslie Burk

Director, Strategic Initiatives

Leslie Burk has been named Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky.

In this role, Burk will work with university partners, external stakeholders, and internal teams to develop and implement initiatives that advance the college’s strategic priorities and transformational goals. She will coordinate engagement operations, oversee cross-college collaborations, and help align resources and partnerships that strengthen the Martin-Gatton CAFE's impact across the Commonwealth.

A Kentucky native with deep agricultural roots, Burk and her family maintain a 140-acre cattle farm in Southville, Kentucky, that has been in their family for more than a century. She has worked at the University of Kentucky for nearly five years, most recently serving as Health Policy and Government Initiatives Manager for UK HealthCare, where she managed review of proposed and new federal and state laws, policies, and regulations. In that role, she collaborated with associations, external partners, and internal teams to analyze and track the impact of legislative and regulatory developments on UK HealthCare operations.

Before joining UK, Burk held positions with The Council of State Governments and the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Georgetown College.