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10 Things to Know About Lisa Richards
The alumna and Advancement staffer talks about fundraising and fun times at Stonehill College.
Director of the Annual Fund Lisa Richards ’99 stands in front of the Matthew McDonough Memorial, which was built in honor of her classmate and friend who passed away shortly after graduating from Stonehill College.
If you are lucky enough to work with Director of the Annual Fund Lisa Richards ’99, you know that you are in for a real treat whenever certain milestone events occur throughout the year.
“Baking is a hobby of mine,” the Rhode Island resident said. “Over the years, I’ve developed a list in my head of the desserts that my colleagues like. On their birthdays, I try to bake them something. And every year on Giving Tuesday, I make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and lemon bars to recognize everyone’s hard work.”
Of course, there is a lot more to Richards than her culinary talents. Here are 10 things to know about the Stonehill staffer.
Richards takes a trip down memory lane as she reads through the Class of 1999's edition of the ACRES Yearbook.
1. She helps our institution thrive. Richards has worked at the College since August 2000. In her current role, she is primarily responsible for overseeing the Stonehill College Fund, through which alumni, students, parents and friends of the institution make financial gifts that support scholarships, academic programs and extracurricular activities. Richards and her colleagues have been especially busy over the past few years working on TO BE BOLD, the College’s comprehensive campaign, which wrapped in December 2022. “We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to help us surpass our record-setting $75 million goal,” she said. “The campaign was a success because of our donors’ generous support.”
2. She honors her friends. One of Richards’ first major projects upon joining the Advancement team involved helping volunteers from her class honor Matthew McDonough ’99, who passed away shortly after graduating. In addition to establishing the Matthew McDonough Memorial Scholarship, they also created a memorial to him outside the Roche Dining Commons. “We worked closely with the McDonough family to find the perfect spot,” Richards said. “Matt and his friends often played wiffle ball in the Courts. During our search, Matt’s father found a wiffle ball bat in the area. He felt like it was a sign and knew we had found the right space.” Working on this project was personal to Richards, as Matthew was one of her best friends at Stonehill.
3. She values our graduates. If there is one thing that Richards has learned throughout her time at the College, it is that our alumni are nothing if not dedicated to our institution. She notes her team can always count on our network of more than 27,000 graduates to lend a helping hand when it comes to fundraising or service projects. “The work we did to remember Matt demonstrates that,” she said. “People came together for someone who gave so much to Stonehill. It’s always great to see our alumni step up like that.”
4. She brings people together. The nature of her job affords Richards the opportunity to engage with alumni and donors at many events held throughout the year. One of her favorite programs is Reunion, which she has attended as both an alumna and an employee. “Generations of graduates return to campus,” she said. “You get to watch people from the 50th Reunion class interact with people from the fifth Reunion class. They realize they have many similarities and vast differences. Seeing them connect is such a unique experience.”
5. She was an active member of the student body. Though she currently works in Advancement, Richards was involved in programs run by Student Affairs when she was attending Stonehill back in the 1990s. She served as an orientation leader and as treasurer of the Student Government Association Executive Board. She was also a tour guide for the Enrollment Management team. “I fell in love with higher education through those experiences,” she said.
Richards’ office is adorned with meaningful pictures, artwork and mementos. One of the most precious items is a photo of a dancer that she has had since she was a child (lower right corner). The image features her favorite quote by writer William Arthur Ward: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”
6. She appreciates her Stonehill mentors. Richards advises that students get to know their faculty. She knows firsthand that forming professional relationships with instructors will benefit them years after they graduate. She cites Jennifer Swanson, professor of international business, as someone whose mentorship has had a lasting impact on her. “She was my faculty advisor,” she said. “She’s stayed a mentor to me all these years later. She’s a fantastic professor and person.”
7. She is close with her classmates. Richards takes advantage of opportunities to reconnect with her pals from the Class of 1999. “I’m still close with all the girls that I lived with, and we get together whenever we are able to,” she said. “I have the added benefit of doing the work that I do. I see alumni from all classes at every event that we host, which is nice. I really appreciate the community that I have here.”
8. She loves Lucy. In her free time, Richards enjoys going on walks with her Polish Lowland Sheepdog. “Her name is Lucy,” the staff member said. “I named her after Lucille Ball, who I idolize.”
9. She likes tap and all that jazz. Beside going out with her pooch, Richards stays active through dance. “I’ve been doing tap and jazz since I was a little kid,” she said. “About nine years ago, a group I danced with in high school got back together to perform. We had fun and stuck with it.” Consisting of 10 dancers, the troupe puts on two performances each year at a studio in Cranston, Rhode Island.
10. She’s a pod(cast) person. To pass the time when she’s commuting to work from the Ocean State, Richards likes listening to podcasts. Smartless, Armchair Expert and Dateline NBC are among her favorites. “Since my colleague Kim Lawrence, director of advancement communications, recommended Smartless to me, I’ve grown to love it,” she said. “She also told me about Literally! With Rob Lowe, which I have added to my list.”