LT in Action – Lisa Haney

Lisa Haney, LT Class of 2021 Alumna, joined the program to get involved in civic leadership, but she wasn’t sure exactly where to start and how to devote her time. Before serving in her current role as Regulatory Compliance Manager at the Irvine Ranch Water District and in similar roles at other Southern California water agencies, Lisa taught middle school, high school, and college students in an outdoor education program. She also conducted teacher trainings for Los Angeles Unified School District.

Lisa’s favorite part of the Leadership Tomorrow program was meeting other classmates one-on-one during LT Connections. The relationships she built proved especially meaningful because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s social restrictions that dominated 2020 and 2021 with less interpersonal interaction and more screen-based meetings. Despite these limitations, LT brought Lisa ample opportunities to make meaningful connections with a variety of “inspiring people from (her) own class,” helping her to feel connected in a time of isolation. Additionally, Lisa says that LT allowed her to pursue her passions and learn about other people’s passions.

Through Leadership Tomorrow, she met fellow 2021 LT graduate, Brian Dozer, the current President of Vital Link OC, one of Orange County’s 501c3 educational nonprofits. In connecting with Brian, Lisa realized that they were both passionate about supporting the future of education in Orange County. She recently became a Vital Link OC Board Member, finally finding “the purpose and outlet (she) had been searching for,” thanks to the connections she made and knowledge gained through her LT experience.