Lisa Owens leads the financial and technology operations of Western Reserve Land Conservancy overseeing all accounting, information technology, reporting, and special projects. Lisa works closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s financial operations maintain strong internal controls and support the programmatic and operational functions of the organization.
Lisa has been a leader in the nonprofit finance field for over 20 years working in healthcare nonprofit and governmental organizations since she transitioned from public accounting in order to use her strengths for mission impact. Her passion for conservation stems from the desire to ensure that future generations have better health outcomes and access to nature in every aspect of their daily lives.
Lisa relocated from Austin, Texas where she served as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Central Health, the Travis County Healthcare District, working to improve health outcomes for the uninsured and underinsured. Lisa also led the financial operations at AIDS Services of Austin as well as complex grant management functions for the organization’s direct and prevention services. Lisa worked in local and national operational and fundraising roles at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society where she used her finance background to increase funds raised for both the Team In Training and Light The Night campaigns. Prior to living in Texas, Lisa also worked for Ernst & Young in both the Cleveland, OH and New York, NY offices.
Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a graduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. Lisa holds a Certified Public Accounting License in Ohio. She is a 2013 alumni of Leadership Austin.
Lisa lives in Solon, OH with her family. They spend their weekends exploring the nearby hiking trails and visiting family in Western and Central Ohio.