Leigh Peake

Leigh Peake joined GMRI in 2014 as Chief Education Officer, leading GMRI’s extensive work with K-12 teachers and students across Maine in order to nurture scientific literacy in the next generation of Mainers.

Leigh is a seasoned educational publishing executive and entrepreneur who came to GMRI from Education Development Center (EDC) in Waltham MA where she was Director of New Enterprise Initiatives. Prior to EDC, Leigh served as President of Corwin and Sr. VP of SAGE Publications in California. Leigh also spent fifteen years at Heinemann Publishing in Portsmouth NH where she directed the work of ten editors in the development of one of the premier lines of professional resources and services for teachers.

Leigh is passionate about education, youth, and STEM, and is actively connecting GMRI to some of the most exciting STEM research and development efforts in the country. Additionally, she brings the kind of entrepreneurial spirit and product development experience that has become a hallmark of GMRI Education programs.

She started her career as a teacher and comes from a family of educators, including a grandfather who ran a one-room schoolhouse in rural Virginia. She is an alumna of Smith College and received her Master’s Degree from Brandeis University.