With the retirement of Don McAllister at the end of 2023, we are excited to announce that Laura Knauss has been appointed as Lionakis’ next President, effective January 1. Laura will continue her role as Chief Practice Officer, overseeing all practice and service areas in the firm’s four California offices.
As President, Laura will place particular emphasis on implementing the firm’s vision to strategically expand expertise and capacity, growing our geographic footprint to best serve clients’ needs. Additionally, she will ensure that we are positioned to sustain the firm’s 115-year legacy, overseeing succession planning and ongoing transition to the next generation of firm leadership.
Laura will stay involved in our Education Practice, providing mentorship internally, and support for key relationships externally. Clients should expect to receive the same expertise and service that they always have from her and our highly qualified education team.
“At my core, I am an education architect, a practitioner. That is where my passion is. As President, I hope to use that lens to further position Lionakis as the firm-of-choice for clients as well as an environment that continues to attract and cultivates top talent.”
We are excited for the opportunity to advance our vision under Laura’s leadership. Laura’s 33+ years with Lionakis, coupled with her collaborative and vision-focused leadership approach, make her the right individual to lead Lionakis into our next chapter.
