Sometimes a team member comes along that is just so dedicated you can’t believe your lucky stars. At SWR, as you have seen over the past month or so, they can come in all kinds of ways and roles. And sometimes the roles they play change over time. 

Lisa Chapman is one of the backbone team members at SWR and has gone from volunteer to staff to volunteer to staff to volunteer! 

Lisa was part of the SWR team from almost the very start. If we are looking for institutional knowledge, Lisa is the one! She planned our very first event, which really got the whole organization moving! And thanks to that event, we are still here doing all the good work that we do. 

Over her years and years with SWR, Lisa has worked as a member support staff for the then Regional Carbon Initiative, the events coordinator for the organization, the office administrator and as the Business Division Manager overseeing finance, HR, IT, and fund development. During this time she also took some time out to teach high school business, but she came back to SWR and has been a central part of the organization ever since. 

Now some of you that are closest to this organization may be asking… isn’t this a blog series about volunteers, not staff. And you are right. But here is the magic of Lisa,

She went on maternity leave and started to volunteer! Lisa is current our Board Coordinator! She helps to coordinate monthly operations reports to the board, plans board meetings, facilitates access to information for board members and generally supports the connection for the board to the organization. 

Soon after Lisa started her maternity leave, she sent a message to the board about one thing or the other, and our Board Chair, Barry Colbert remarked (tongue fully in cheek)…. “We have a staff person that is named Lisa Chapman, but she is on maternity leave…. “

Lisa is the perfect Yin to my Yang. She is incredible with details, process creation, and just overall on top of all the things that need to get done. On top of that, she is just so supportive of the entire team. That is evidenced by how many of the people she calls friend she met through SWR. In fact, she also met her husband through SWR! Now that is work/life/volunteer integration!

Thank you Lisa for all the work you have done over the years, as staff, as a volunteer, and as a supporter of a sustainable future for our whole region!