Lisa M. Lawson is the president and chief executive officer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Since taking the helm in 2019, Lawson has launched several initiatives to maximize Casey’s impact, including Thrive by 25® — a groundbreaking effort aligning the Foundation’s work in child welfare and juvenile justice reform, economic opportunity and community development to improve outcomes for Generation Z (adolescents ages 14 to 24).
The strategy, which is showing promising results, has inspired new programs and partnerships with public, private and nonprofit organizations; expanded the field’s understanding and use of adolescent brain science to enhance the effectiveness of interventions; increased investments in prevention efforts; and shifted public policy to better support young people in school, work and life. In September 2025, Lawson will release a new book about these efforts called Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children.
Before becoming president, Lawson was the Foundation’s executive vice president and chief program officer, overseeing all the organization’s grant-making efforts. Prior to that, she served as vice president of external affairs, leading Casey’s work to provide data, analysis, research and policy solutions to help all children realize their full potential.
Lawson came to the Foundation after a 14-year career with UPS, where she held various roles, including president of the UPS Foundation and vice president of corporate public relations. Her unique blend of philanthropic and corporate expertise has helped Lawson expand Casey’s reach and find new ways to improve child well-being.
A testament to her influence in the sector was Lawson’s selection as one of Inside Philanthropy’s 50 most powerful women in U.S. philanthropy in 2023 and her inclusion in the Nonprofit Times’ Power & Influence Top 50 list in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024.
Lawson’s dedication to service extends beyond the Annie E. Casey Foundation. She is a member of numerous national boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Living Cities, and is on the advisory board of the public company Twilio.org. Lawson is deeply committed to the Casey Foundation’s hometown, serving on the board of Baltimore’s Promise, as well as the board of the Greater Washington Partnership.
An Atlanta native, Lawson earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Livingstone College.