Biography

Lisa joined the Coastal Resources Center team in June of 2023 as Assistant Director and is currently serving as Interim Director. 

Prior to coming to CRC, Lisa was the Chief Operating Officer at RIHousing where she managed the operations team, including the Departments of Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, Loan Servicing, and Quality Control. She supported efforts to provide mortgage assistance during the COVID pandemic through a federally funded emergency program, preventing foreclosure for hundreds of Rhode Island homeowners. 

She previously enjoyed a career at the RI Department of Environmental Management as Chief of the Office of Planning and Development. In this role, she led programs to protect natural resources in the State of RI, working in close partnership with Federal, State, local, and non-profit organizations to preserve natural habitats, agricultural lands, coastal access, and recreational lands. She has expertise in active and passive park planning and development including bikeways and other public amenities. During her tenure leading conservation programs, the State protected over 29,000 acres of land through a variety of acquisition methods. 

Lisa’s current work has been leading and developing strong operational teams, with a commitment to building diverse, inclusive, and supportive environments. She is passionate about the importance and value of public use and access to RI’s state parks, bikeways, trails systems, and coastal areas. 

Lisa has a B.A. in Urban Affairs from the University of Rhode Island and Master’s in Urban Planning from Hunter College, City University of New York.