We Are IT | Meet Jennifer Leale

Jennifer Leale has spent 25 years at Florida State University turning her love of coding into custom solutions that support departments across campus. As a custom applications developer at ITS, she designs and develops Java applications from the ground up, collaborating on everything from database structure to user experience, and says one of the most rewarding parts of her work is creating tools that solve problems third-party software cannot.

Where are you from?

I was born in Minot, North Dakota, while my dad was serving in the Air Force. Our family later transferred to Columbus, Georgia, near Fort Benning, where I grew up. I moved to Tallahassee in 1997 to attend Florida State University and have called Tallahassee home ever since.

Where did you attend school?

I attended Florida State University, where I earned degrees in Accounting and Management Information Systems, and later completed my Master’s in Information Technology while working at FSU. I was accepted to both UGA on a full Georgia Hope scholarship and FSU, but after visiting Tallahassee and falling in love with the city (so much fun!), I decided to make the move to FSU with a friend. I felt paying out-of-state tuition wasn’t such a bad idea after all, when FSU later paid for my graduate degree as an employee

Why did you choose to work in technology?

I chose technology because I took a few coding courses at FSU and absolutely loved them. At the time, I was learning ColdFusion and database-driven web development. I would stay up way too late on weekends building example websites from a WACK book (Web Application Construction Kit) I purchased at Borders Bookstore - I had so much fun experimenting with applications connected to databases. I loved the creative side of development just as much as the technical side, and that passion has stayed with me throughout my years at FSU.

How long have you been at FSU?

This year marks 25 years at Florida State University. I started at FSU right after graduating from FSU, and it has been rewarding to spend so many years here working alongside great people and meaningful projects.

What is your role at FSU ITS?

I work as a custom applications developer within FSU ITS, where I help design and develop custom Java applications that support departments across the university.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most is helping departments solve problems with custom solutions that may not exist in third-party software. Custom development allows us to combine creativity with our technical skills. I enjoy planning an application from beginning to end, including the database structure, UX with the User Experience team, and then bringing it all to life in the coding process.

What is the most rewarding project you have worked on at FSU?

One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on is Community Engaged Tallahassee. It’s an application that allows administrators to manage volunteer opportunities while volunteers can browse and sign up for opportunities within the community. It’s especially rewarding because it supports community engagement and service, and we are now expanding the application for use at the Panama City campus.

If you were to invent one piece of technology, what would it be?

As a parent with two busy kids constantly traveling for their sports activities, I would LOVE to invent a robot that cleans up clutter around the house. I already think the Roomba is one of the greatest inventions ever, so if we could expand that technology into full clutter cleanup, I would be so happy.

What is a fun fact about you?

Outside of work, I run a local social media community called Tallahassee Foodies that highlights local restaurants and events. When dining shut down during the pandemic, our community became a go-to resource for supporting local restaurants. Over the years, we’ve also partnered with local nonprofits to help raise money for organizations that uplift our community in need, in particular, Second Harvest. One especially fun moment was receiving a local philanthropy award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Big Bend Chapter, and having the opportunity to meet FSU Provost Clark in the audience afterwards.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking, traveling for my kids’ activities, exploring Tallahassee’s local dining scene (I highly recommend the FSU Little Dinner Series), and supporting community events. I also enjoy creative projects related to local food and community engagement.