Lisa Anderson came to MAD in 2014, bringing with her skills in policy analysis, evaluation, and problem solving. Prior to joining MAD, she conducted a variety of research and evaluation projects, including analyzing rural community and economic development initiatives, evaluating asset-building and other programs for Minnesotans on a low income or experiencing homelessness, surveying rural Minnesota organizations, and analyzing non-metro networks. She also has experience assisting nonprofit leaders in strategic planning and solving programmatic challenges.
From 2019 to 2021, Lisa worked as a special projects manager for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County, the fourth largest trial court system in the US, where she established a project management office, developed plans to unify and standardize projects to increase collaboration and measurability and reduce duplication, and oversaw the implementation of several IT upgrade projects.
Lisa specializes in qualitative data collection and analysis with a specific interest in participatory methods, enabling leaders to make data-driven decisions that embed Minnesota’s values of equity, diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and inclusiveness. She enjoys being a generalist, learning how different systems work, and partnering with other leaders to find ways to achieve their missions.
Lisa’s most notable projects have involved managing complex qualitative analyses, engaging stakeholders to help organizations answer difficult questions, analyzing statewide capacity to provide medical and mental health services, providing strategic direction on multiyear evaluations, training volunteer interviewers, and managing survey projects. As part of the MnDOT Advancing Transportation Equity project she presented at a poster session at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, and she has contributed to several environmental and conservation projects, including projects with the Department of Natural Resources, Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, and Minnesota Board or Water and Soil Resources. Recent projects include facilitating workshops for scale-up planning related to the Biden Infrastructure Law, assisting with the creation of a Strategy and Analytics Team in the Department of Public Safety, and leading initial planning and engagement activities for Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority (MNCIFA), Minnesota’s new green bank.
Lisa has a master’s degree in public policy, with a concentration in advanced policy analysis and minor in program evaluation, from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of Wisconsin–River Falls.
