Her Story
About Lisa
My career journey began in 1986 when I was right out of college at the University of Georgia, where I paid my whole way through. My father was a minister and my parents didn't have a lot of money, so I worked my way through UGA. I started working for Governor Joe Frank Harris here in Georgia, working for his chief of staff as an assistant after doing a governor's internship program. That one internship totally changed the trajectory of my life and my sister's both. It taught me how critical internships can be - they can totally change your career trajectory, your path in life, and getting a job. Suddenly I had access to some of the most influential people in the state of Georgia, including CEOs of Coca-Cola, Delta, and every major corporation and big political person in the state. After working there, I was recruited to a state agency where I worked for 7 years and ran their communications as the number 2 person in their communications and government affairs legislative work. From there, I was recruited by another agency to run all their legislative affairs and help with communications because I had strong relationships with a lot of reporters here in Atlanta, Georgia. I then left and did contract lobbying in Florida and Georgia for 2 years before getting recruited to come back to work for the state toll authority in Georgia. They needed somebody who can do comms work and legislative, and very few people do both - people usually do one or the other. I just happened to be kind of a unicorn and did both, so I went to work there as Director of their communications and Legislative Affairs. From there, I got recruited by a big engineering company called Jacobs, and from Jacobs, got recruited by HNTB. I literally have been recruited for the last several jobs I've had. Last year, I left for a hot minute and went to another gigantic engineering firm, one of the biggest in the world, but just realized it wasn't a cultural fit for me and came back to HNTB where the CEO here is the one who hired me. In the process, I got super involved in national professional organizations and even international ones. I'm on the board of two international organizations: Women in Transportation Seminar and the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association Foundation Board.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lisa
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Number one, I tell them, networking is going to be their most important asset. I cannot stress the importance of networking enough. I literally have never had to go look for a job in the last 25 years - jobs have just come to me, and that's because of networking. Get involved in professional organizations to expand not only your technical or professional knowledge, but also your networking arena. That would be my number one piece of advice: to get involved in professional organizations and start to utilize that to expand upon both your professional knowledge and your networking circle. My nephew's a 28-year-old, and that's what I'm telling him. You need to get involved, because if you do that and you start taking leadership roles in those organizations, you will never have to go look for a job again. They'll be coming to you because you're honing your leadership skills, your communication skills, and you're advancing your technical knowledge base also.
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