Lisa D. Swanson is a policy strategist and U.S. Air Force Veteran with over 25 years in public service spanning municipal, county, state, and federal government. Committed to strict nonpartisan professionalism, she consistently aligns her work with mission outcomes and the best interests of Veterans. Appointed as the Deputy Director of the VA Center for Minority Veterans (CMV), she executes congressionally mandated initiatives to guarantee comprehensive benefit access and tailored outreach for targeted Veteran demographics.
Previously, Ms. Swanson was competitively selected as a VA Congressional Fellow for the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. She conducted vital legislative analysis on bipartisan priorities- including mental health, suicide prevention, and program oversight, and authored policy analysis for the Reconciliation Act, which identified $175.4 billion in potential impacts on Veteran populations. She also served as a Program Analyst for the Office of Information and Technology within the VA and was appointed by the Secretary as the Department-wide Campaign Manager for the Combined Federal Campaign.
Before her tenure at the VA, Ms. Swanson served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Administration for Children and Families, managing the National Immediate Disaster Case Management program during multiple natural disasters, directing over 300 case managers. Her leadership resulted in the program’s first Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA)-compliant electronic case management system and a strategic restructuring that achieved substantial cost savings of over $30 million, while maintaining full operational capabilities.
Ms. Swanson’s foundational experience includes serving honorably in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard as a Readiness and Emergency Management Specialist, where she was also a certified Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Victim Advocate. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Long Island University, a Certificate in Crisis Leadership from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a robust portfolio of professional certifications. She combines coalition building across organizational boundaries with meticulous execution, turning policy into action that serves all Veterans and the communities they call home.