Lisa Willems '83

I am honored to work with alumni, parents and friends of St. Thomas to advance the university’s mission, impact the lives of students, and link my passion for education and making a difference in people’s lives. I joined the Institutional Advancement team at the University of St. Thomas in 2010. In my role as development officer, I have the pleasure of meeting and connecting with alumni, parents, and friends of St. Thomas and hearing about their personal St. Thomas experiences and the difference it has made in their lives.

I thoroughly enjoy and I am passionate about helping connect our benefactors to gifting opportunities that are most meaningful to them. I am dedicated to ensuring that our wonderful donors know that they have made a difference and impacted students and the university with their transformational gifts. And, in turn, they have created legacies that are meaningful and impactful in the lives of many Tommies, today and for years to come.

Prior to joining the development team, I led business development in partnership with for-profit companies and nonprofit companies and I led and had oversight of franchise partnerships and marketing at IDQ Companies, the Orange Julius brand, and Dayton Hudson Corporation.

I am a St. Thomas alumna, three times over. I graduated from St. Thomas with a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing management in 1983. I also completed a mini master’s degree in business communication and earned a mini-MBA for nonprofit organizations. As an undergraduate student, I studied abroad, one of my many fond memories from college.

I enjoy the outdoors, music and theatre, sports, time in northern Minnesota, and traveling with my family. I serve on the board of directors at my children’s high school and at Dakota Woodlands.