"I think Worcester has shaped me in my professional role. It gave me the chance to form my leadership abilities because of the position that I hold at the Community Foundation. And I hope that in my fifteen or sixteen years here I helped shape the Community Foundation to grow it and make it a respectable organization—which it certainly was when I joined it—but to enhance all of that. And that by growing the foundation, by bringing in more gifts and more donors, doing creative things with our grant money, I hope that I’ve had an impact directly on Worcester through the grants that we’ve made and through the leadership that we provide."
Born in 1960, Ann Lisi was raised in a large family in Madison, Wisconsin and moved to Massachusetts after finishing college. In this interview, Ann discusses her personal work history as she moved through the ranks of different service organizations of the non-profit sector and ultimately earned the position as the Executive Director at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation (GWCF). Ann illustrates her extensive participation in volunteer work and community service, both in the past and today. She emphasizes the learning that she experienced along the way and the important role that mentors played in her personal and career development. Ann explains what her work at the GWCF means to her and to the City of Worcester. She discusses the key issues facing the city today and shares some of the positive changes that she has witnessed over the years. Ann gives her perspective on the place of women in today’s society and touches upon her childhood memories in Wisconsin and her first impressions of life in Massachusetts.