Douglas Leal - Biography

Douglas Leal

Author, Speaker, Trainer, Consultant

E-mail: info@douglasleal.com

Biography

Douglas Leal has worked many years in ministry in New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He is a frequent speaker, trainer, and retreat facilitator at parishes, communities, and diocesean events across the country. His skill-building book for lectors, Stop Reading and Start Proclaiming! (Resource Publications, Inc.) was selected by the Congregational Resource Guide as recommended resource for communities seeking to improve their worship life.

Douglas currently serves as the Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation and Young Adult Ministry for the Office of Religious Education of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Previously, he served as the Director of Ministries at St. Sebastian Church. He has also worked as an initiation minister, cantor and music minister, and spiritual director. Douglas has written spoken-word performance pieces for Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago, St. Monica Church in Santa Monica, and for the National Religious Vocations Conference. He serves as the artistic director of the Ad Hoc Players, a Christian improv troupe.

As an actor, Douglas has appeared in numerous regional theater productions and independent films. He co-directed and appeared in the West Coast premiere of Lady Lancing, Oscar Wilde’s original script of The Importance of Being Earnest. He also directed the premieres of Capsized Flotsam, Annoyed By Life, and his own musical play, Chosen. His play Outsider was produced by Write Act Repertory in Hollywood. Douglas was a member of the ComedySportz Chicago improv troupe and previously served as director of a high school drama program.

Douglas has over 15 years’ experience as a management consultant in organizational design, effectiveness, and development. He was a Director in the management consulting practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. Prior to joining PwC, he founded SoftSupport Communications, Inc., a software consulting firm which provided documentation, training, and marketing services to technology clients.

Douglas received his B.A. summa cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans and his M.A. in Pastoral Ministry from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. He also holds a certificate in Christian Initiation Studies from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and did graduate work as a National Science Foundation Fellow at Vanderbilt University.

[Photo credit: Richard Tatum, AboutFaceHeadshots.com]