We are thrilled to introduce Lisa Higginbotham, Chief Strategy Officer at Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC), as a new member of our Community Action Council! Lisa brings 25 years of social service experience to Tennessee Nonprofit Network, with expertise in affordable housing, homelessness, mental health, substance misuse, and domestic violence intervention. As a leader, Lisa is known as a connector and collaborator, specializing in strategic planning, community engagement, grant writing, and outcomes measurement.
Lisa joined the Community Action Council due to her concern about the future of the nonprofit sector and how policy decisions will shape it. She wants to contribute to creating solutions and opportunities, with a specific interest in helping Tennessee Nonprofit Network build a stronger presence in East Tennessee, particularly in building capacity for grassroots organizations.
For Lisa, her career has been centered around place-making and creating spaces where people feel they belong and can thrive. She naturally collaborates for the greater good, finds common ground, and prioritizes the well-being of others. Tennessee’s nonprofit sector, to Lisa, represents the power of collective creativity and collaboration to fundamentally improve lives. She believes nonprofits are essential connectors that promote health equity and work to end the cycle of poverty, especially for the most vulnerable community members.
During her time with Tennessee Nonprofit Network, Lisa hopes to strengthen its presence in East Tennessee while serving as a connector for collaboration among nonprofit peers statewide. She aims to contribute her expertise in community-wide strategic planning and outcomes measurement to help create positive systems change.
Lisa and her partner of 18 years have a 12-year-old son and two cats, Trixie and Pickles. Lisa often spends her free time volunteering in her community, gardening, or reading.
As Chief Strategy Officer at Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, Lisa applies her Master’s Level social work training from the University of Tennessee College of Social Work daily. What she loves most about her work is getting to know people, hearing their stories, and learning about their hopes. She feels fortunate to be trusted with these conversations and to help turn aspirations into real possibilities.
As a literature major in undergrad, Lisa finds it difficult to choose just one book, but primarily reads science fiction. She recommends “Fahrenheit 451,” “Piranesi,” and “Station Eleven.” These books explore themes of humanity’s resilience, the power of perspective, and the importance of intellectual freedom for a healthy society.
Lisa deeply loves her area of East Tennessee, where she lives, works, and plays. She appreciates the opportunity to explore the outdoors and live in a place that aligns with her core values. She resides in Norris, a community rooted in civic engagement, works in Knoxville, the home of the Tennessee Vols and a well-connected nonprofit network, and enjoys the lush, biodiverse mountains of East Tennessee.
A kid at heart, Lisa’s all-time favorite movie is “Marcel the Shell.” She loves its themes of community, hope, resilience, and appreciating the joys of everyday life. She notes it’s both laugh-out-loud funny and a tear-jerker, so viewers should have tissues ready.
Lisa’s favorite local spot is her own backyard, which includes her wildflower garden, the Norris Watershed, Clinch River, and Norris Lake.
A hidden talent that might surprise people is that Lisa is a member of the Poetry Society of East Tennessee and loves to jot down poems. She also collects antique typewriters, including a 1950s Olympia Typewriter that types in cursive script.
If she could travel anywhere, Lisa would return to India. In 2000, she traveled to Southern India with Maryville College and met many wonderful people. She would like to go back to visit them, explore area temples and nature preserves, and find an organization to volunteer with.
Her advice for someone starting a career in the nonprofit sector is that it takes grit, perseverance, and resilience, and burnout is common. She encourages taking time to pause for perspective, leaning on peers, finding things to be grateful for, and giving oneself grace.
Outside of her professional work, Lisa is particularly passionate about “neighboring”—connecting with the people who live next door. She believes in finding common ground, looking out for each other, and being kind, emphasizing that community will disappear if people isolate and don’t support one another.
A fun fact about Lisa that most people don’t know is that she loves to collect miniature figurines, gemstones, cassette tapes, and other pocket-sized items.