Alumni Spotlight: Kim Lisiak Fraleigh, MA ’18 on Finding an Alignment Between Learning and Leading

When Kim Lisiak Fraleigh enrolled in Saint Mary's College Master's in Leadership program, she was seeking more than just a degree—she was searching for purpose. She found that the right educational experience can have a powerful impact not only on a career, but on an entire life trajectory.

"The decision to invest in the MA Leadership Program transformed my life," Fraleigh says. "It gifted me the structure and time to draw inward in order to better serve outward, towards a more purpose-filled and fulfilling vocation."

That inner work paid dividends quickly. As a result of the program, Fraleigh was recruited into a leadership role with Lippert Components, one of Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies, a position that would reshape her professional path and personal life in ways she never imagined.

What attracted Kim to Lippert wasn't just the opportunity, it was the values. "At Lippert, Everyone Matters," are words that guide the company, she explains. "We believe that a global, publicly traded business can be a force for good in the world." The company's philosophy echoed the leadership principles she'd encountered at Saint Mary's, creating a natural synergy between her education and her new role.

"If our people go home happier and healthier, it will make an impact in their homes and communities," Kim says of Lippert's mission—a statement that could just as easily describe the ripple effect of her own transformation through the MA in Leadership program.

From Student to Architect of Transformation

Today, nearly seven years into her role as Director of Leadership Development for Lippert, Fraleigh has come full circle. She has taken the framework that transformed her and scaled it globally.

“I felt fully prepared from the learning journey we experienced in the Saint Mary’s MA Leadership Program," she says. "In fact, we modeled our internal leadership development program after the same journey, aligned to our leadership development model: Lead Self–Lead Team–Lead Business.”

The program Fraleigh designed for Lippert travels through personality assessment, values clarification, leadership philosophy, systems thinking, coaching, and change leadership—the same transformational arc she experienced at Saint Mary's, adapted for a corporate context.

The impact has been profound. Fraleigh’s program has transformed leaders across the globe, including many who never had the opportunity to graduate from high school. It's a testament to her core belief, cultivated during her time at Saint Mary's: "Leadership is influence—and everyone can make a lasting impact in the systems in which we live, work, play, and serve."

An Energizing Catalyst

The professional transformation was remarkable, but the personal impact proved equally life-changing. When Lippert moved Fraleigh from Florida to Indiana, she met her husband. Three years later, they were married. The couple has since returned to the Bay Area, bringing Fraleigh's journey full circle geographically as well as professionally.

"None of this would have happened were it not for the master’s in Leadership program," she says.

Today, Fraleigh describes herself as an “energizing catalyst” who seeks to “open eyes and hearts to the personal and organizational transformation needed to thrive—drawing others inward to better serve outward.” It's the same philosophy that guided her own transformation, now extended to thousands of others.

“I am deeply grateful for how the program prepared me—not only for my career and what I do every day as coach, trainer/teacher, trusted advisor, and strategic partner, but more importantly, for how the program transformed how I see and serve the world, from the inside out.”

Fraleigh’s gratitude runs deep enough that she's eager to give back to the community that transformed her. She has offered to speak with prospective students, serve as adjunct faculty, or provide guest lectures—bringing her practitioner's perspective back to the program that launched her journey.

Her story is a powerful reminder that leadership education, done right, doesn't just prepare you for a job. It prepares you for a life of purpose, impact, and meaning that extends far beyond any single role or organization.

Interested in learning more about the MA in Leadership program? Visit our website, attend an information session, or contact the Kalmanovitz School of Education to explore how this program can transform your approach to leadership: ksoeteam@stmarys-ca.edu, 925-631-4700 x1.