Leslie Simmer is Kartemquin's Director of Editing as well as Senior Editor on staff. For over twelve years Leslie has worked at Kartemquin in various capacities. Most recently she edited and co-wrote the feature documentary As Goes Janesville, a co-production between Kartemquin and 371 Productions which will screen on PBS in October, 2012. Prior to that, she edited with Steve James on the ESPN film No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson; she edited the Emmy-nominated In the Family (for which she received the Best Editing prize at the "Best of the Midwest Awards); and in 2005 Leslie was co-editor with Steve James on The War Tapes. From 2001-2004 she wore dual hats on the seven-part PBS series The New Americans as both Series Story Editor and Post Production Supervisor.

In 2004 she took on the role of development producer for the "Odyssey Project" segment of series-in-development The Learning Chronicles. She was a co-editor and Post Production Manager for Future/Now Films’ MC5*ATT and a Post Production Technical Advisor for the feature doc Reel Paradise. While acting as Post Production Manager on the Life Stories series, she was also a Co-Editor for the "Quitting" episode. She was Post Production Manager on Stevie, Refrigerator Mothers, and 5 Girls. Leslie’s work as Assistant Editor on Vietnam Long Time Coming is what originally brought her to Kartemquin, and she also contributed additional editing to that film. Leslie got her BA in Communication/Theater Arts (Phi Beta Kappa) from Kalamazoo College in Michigan. She did graduate work in film at Columbia College, Chicago, where she began her long and passionate relationship with the Avid. When not in the edit room, she enjoys travel, good food and liquor, long naps on the beach, and helping animals.