Lisa Johnson

My will to learn. I pride myself on being a lifelong learner. I am not the smartest person in the world but I remain curious, open, and hungry for growth—always seeking new knowledge, new skills, and new perspectives. That mindset has allowed me to adapt, evolve, and keep moving forward no matter the challenge.

The people who rise aren’t the ones who never fall—they’re the ones who refuse to stay down.

Head up, mind clear, vision focused

Keep your head high and your standards even higher. 

All industry will test your confidence, your voice, and your boundaries—but don’t shrink yourself to fit into rooms that weren’t designed with you in mind. Walk in knowing your value, advocate for what you deserve, and stay grounded in your ethics and expectations.

One of the biggest challenges in economic development is that it isn’t a common or clearly defined line of work. Much of what we do exists in uncharted territory—there’s no standard playbook, no single path to follow, and often no precedent for the situations we face.

However, that challenge is also the greatest opportunity. The lack of a traditional roadmap means we get to create one. We have the ability to design solutions from the ground up, to rethink how development is done, and to build partnerships that didn’t exist before. 

Live life in crescendo, my best is yet to come. Keep growing, keep evolving, always moving toward a better version of myself. This mindset that my best is yet to come, keeps me focused on progress rather than perfection. In both work and life, this shows up as a commitment to continual learning, pushing creative boundaries, and staying open to new perspectives