Lisa VanRaemdonck serves as the Executive Director of the School of Public Affairs Institute and is an instructor in the Bachelor of Arts in Public Service program and at the Colorado School of Public Health. Her work is dedicated to supporting the intersection of the School of Public Affairs and public service professionals through group facilitation, strategic partnerships, leadership development & training, peer networking, capacity building and policy communication. She is Director of the Denver Community Leadership Forum and the Rocky Mountain Leadership Program. Lisa approaches her work with a focus on collaboration, systems thinking, building connections, equity and social justice. Prior to her role at the School of Public Affairs, Lisa served as Executive Director of the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials and co-directed the Colorado Public Health Practice-Based Research Network. She came to public service after a brief, private sector career in public relations and business-to-business marketing communications. Lisa earned a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a special focus in journalism, from Michigan State University. Lisa has volunteered in animal shelters and animal welfare for more than 10 years.