Colonel Leon L. Holland graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in January, 1961, with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree and an ROTC Commission in the Army Medical Service Corps. He began serving on active duty at Fort Sam Houston, in his hometown of San Antonio during April 1961. Upon completing the Army Medical Department Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 8th Field Hospital, Fort Lewis, Washington. In March, 1962, Colonel Holland deployed with the 8th Field Hospital to Nha Trang, Republic of Viet Nam.

His subsequent assignments include: U.S Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; 130th General Hospital, Chinon, France; and the 33rd Station Hospital, Bremerhaven, Germany. He was also assigned as Advisor, Korea Military Advisory Group, Taegu, Korea; Tri-Service Regionalization Project Officer, and Chief, Plans Operations and Training, Letterman Army Medical Center, San Francisco; Commander, 6th Medical Depot, Seoul, Korea; Defense Medical Materiel Standardization Board, Fort Detrick, Maryland. In 1979, he was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas to the III Corps Surgeon's Office and later to the Darnall Army Medical Community Hospital. He was reassigned to Fort Detrick, Maryland in1984 as Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, and the following year he was selected to command the Agency. Finally, in August 1988, Colonel Holland was selected to serve as the senior administrator and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, also at Fort Detrick. On August 31, 1991, he closed out a distinguished 30-year career.

His military schooling includes the Army Medical Department Officer Advanced Course, Medical Supply Officer Course and Command and General Staff College. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Texas. He has undertaken postgraduate studies in Health Care Administration at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.

Colonel Holland's awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (1st Oak Leaf Cluster); Meritorious Service Medal (4th OLC); Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal (4th OLC); Viet Nam Service Medal; Humanitarian Service medal; and other unit and foreign service awards. He is also the recipient of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

The Holland family returned home to Texas and selected Austin as their retirement city during August, 1991. Colonel Holland began service with the State of Texas in 1992 serving as Deputy Commissioner for Administrative Services with the Texas Rehabilitation Commission. Holland retired from state service and began his current career in 2003. He now serves as the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and Small Business Coordinator for a Texas employee-owned HUB company dedicated to serving the professional and technical needs of corporate and governmental entities. He and his wife, Peggy, have a daughter and son and one grandson. .