A native of Wisconsin, Lisa is a 1991 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse with a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration. In the final semester of graduation, she completed an internship in environmental education with the National Wildlife Federation in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Lisa then moved to Illinois and worked for four years with the Girl Scouts of DuPage County in Naperville. She began as an assistant to the Development Director and was six months later appointed to a Field Director position where she was responsible for program development, youth leadership, and adult training.
In 1997, Lisa was offered a position with the USO of Illinois as the Great Lakes Director and was named President in April of 2000. This role included board, program and fund development, community relations, and the daily leadership of the statewide mission operations of four USO centers and their volunteers and staff. When the devastation of September 11th took place and our Nation went to war in 2003, there was increased need for relevant and impactful programs. As a result, the organization expanded from serving 150,000 annually to then close to 260,000 military personnel and their families through the creation of over 12 new core programs. Additionally, the redevelopment of centers at O’Hare and Midway airports as well as Naval Station Great Lakes, were completed and the capital campaign and building of the new center at Navy Pier accomplished.
In April 2009, Lisa was appointed Executive Director of Tawani Foundation. The mission of Tawani Foundation is to enhance and promote awareness of the importance of the Citizen Soldier; preservation of unique sites of significance to American history; improving public spaces and services that enhance quality of life; and honoring and supporting the service of military personnel past, present and future through recognition of outstanding achievement.
A 2007 recipient of the City of Chicago’s General Logan Award for Patriotism, presented by Mayor Richard M. Daley and a Crain’s Forty under Forty honoree, Lisa continues to support our men and women in uniform and their families in her personal and professional roles. Lisa was peer elected to serve two terms as Vice Chair for the national USO Affiliates Council, which focused on addressing organization wide mission needs and strategic plans. She has also served as a conservation volunteer over the last five years through the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, administered through the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. With Ed Tracy, President of Jumpmaster Productions, Lisa was honored to serve as the Co-Chair for the 2009 Chicago Commit to Courage Medal of Honor Convention. Over 50 Medal of Honor Recipients and their families were welcomed to the city to pay tribute to their service and to share their message of inspiring courage in our everyday lives with the youth and citizens of our community.