College of Pharmacy Dean’s Awards

Matt Leonard ’88
Executive Vice President, Pharmaceutical Contracting, Purchasing & Network Administration, CVS Health
Matt Leonard leads strategy and operations for CVS Health’s pharmaceutical purchasing program, encompassing retail, mail and specialty pharmacies, while also managing relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers and whole-salers. He directs the trade strategy associated with CVS Health’s commercial, government and health plan customers. Over his twenty-year career with 
the company, Leonard has developed an extensive background in health care. A five-time recipient of the company’s CEO Award, he was named Chain Drug Pharmacy Executive of the Year in 2009. He and wife Jeanmarie ’86 endowed the Leonard Family Scholarship in the College of Pharmacy, donated to the Pharmacy Building campaign and the Dean Joan Lausier Pharmacy Future Fund, and support URI athletics. He is a trustee of the URI Foundation.

Richard V. Piacentini ’77
Executive Director, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Richard Piacentini has transformed one of the oldest and largest conservatories in North America into a bastion of sustainability. He is responsible for the greening of the buildings, operations and programs throughout the organization and providing leadership in developing and implementing a master plan for improving horticultural exhibits, collections, and public programs that build on traditions of the past. He is the recipient of leadership awards from the International Living Future Institute, U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Alliance. A licensed pharmacist in Washington, D.C., he volunteered his time and expertise in reviewing design options for the College of ­Pharmacy’s new building. He received an M.S. in botany from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University.