Lisa brings more than 25 years of experience working with first/birth and adoptive parents, those experiencing infertility, and adopted individuals searching for connection to roots and families of origin. She has expertise with young adults, individuals and couples on life issues, working from a holistic frame, trauma-sensitive and steeped in yogic philosophy to co-facilitate healing. Lisa is an adoptive parent who also co-founded Adoption Resource Network, Inc. (ARNI), which bring members of the Extended Family of Adoption together to learn from and share with each other.

In addition to her work with NCAP, Lisa has a private practice focusing on attachment and adoption-related issues and is the Director of Adoption Services at Hillside Children’s Center in New York State, where she is responsible for leading policy and practice changes to support permanency on behalf of youth in the child welfare system. Her practice also includes infant and international adoption. She was project manager on Hillside’s federal diligent recruitment grant that increased understanding of the urgent need for permanency for youth and decreased the number of youth in out-of-home care. She has also been significantly involved with the agency’s Family Finding initiative in curriculum development and as a local and national trainer.

Lisa is a nationally known speaker, trainer, advocate and consultant on adoption who has been honored with an Adoption Activist Award by the North American Council on Adoptable Children; an Excellence in Adoption Award for post-adoption services by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and an Angel in Adoption award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute She co-produced an eight-part TV news series on the issues of adoption, aired by WROC TV8 in Rochester, N.Y., that received the Anna Quindlen Award and an Emmy nomination.