Board member spotlight
Lisa Abbott, MBA '93, has served on the board since 2012. As a graduate student at Binghamton, she worked
as a resident director in Endicott Hall at Newing College. As an alumna, Abbott has
played a leadership role in the introduction of the Alumni Leaders Conference and
Alumni Global Day of Service, as well as the enhancement of the Alumni Association's
Special Recognition Awards Program. She was the board's secretary for two years before
being elected vice president. She is senior vice president for human resources and
community affairs for Lifespan Corporation, the largest hospital system in Rhode Island,
and Brown University's teaching affiliate.
Your career keeps you very busy. How and why do you find time to be involved with
the University and the Alumni Association?
It's a matter of prioritizing what is important. There are always competing projects,
assignments and commitments and ensuring that time is carved out for board work is
essential. I have often said that it is important to give back; Binghamton University
is driving gentrification of many neighborhoods in the Greater Binghamton area with
the opening of the incubator downtown and development of the Health Sciences Campus
in Johnson City. These are compelling initiatives and the Alumni Association can be
proud of these advancements.
You've been closely involved with so many of our signature programs such as Alumni
Global Day of Service and the Alumni Association Special Recognition Awards. Which
one is your favorite and why?
The signature programs are all great, but the awards event is my favorite. It's humbling
to meet some of the most amazingly accomplished alumni and learn their stories, their
contributions and to understand a bit about how they got their start and how Binghamton
University was instrumental in their formative years. We have celebrated some pretty
amazing people and the introduction of the event to the Edison Ballroom in New York
City last year really took the event to a whole new level.
Why is it important for alumni to be involved with the University? What real impact
does it have?
Our alumni community is vast and the potential to impact our local and regional communities
is significant. Whether we are making contributions through some of our signature
programs like the Alumni Global Day of Service, or mentoring students or serving as
ambassadors to recruit new students, our ability to make meaningful contributions
cannot be understated. We all have the capacity to share our experience and to share
the gift of our advice and guidance. It really does matter.
