Leona holds the BA, BEd (Memorial U), MRE (U. of Toronto), EdD (Columbia University, NY), and  PhD (U of Technology, Australia).  Over the course of her career, she has been co-editor of the Adult Education Quarterly and president of the Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education. She is a two-time recipient of the Cyril O. Houle Award for Outstanding Literature in Adult Education (2013, 2016), member of the Adult Education Hall of Fame, honorary member of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and recipient of the CASAE award for Lifetime Achievement in Adult Education.