Staff Spotlight: Lisa Comben

Give us a brief overview of yourself and your job title:

My name is Lisa Comben and I am the Senior Development Director for the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology (GACET), and Corporate and Foundation Relations. It’s a pretty long title, but basically I work with the GACET to secure financial support for their programs, faculty and students, and across the University to develop relationships and support from corporate and private foundation sources. I have been in development for most of my professional life, and have been fortunate to work in a wide range of fields, including human service, health, and arts organizations as well as educational institutions.

I came to the EMU Foundation in 2016 so I will be celebrating my sixth year here in March. I’ve been married to my husband, Tom, for 34 years. We have two children, Elizabeth and Michael (who is a proud EMU alumnus and current MBA student in the College of Business), and two grandchildren, Riley and Finley.

How has your work/life changed now that you are starting a new job remotely?

Since I’ve been with the EMU Foundation for nearly six years, I wasn't starting a new job, although along with everyone else, I shifted to working remotely in March of 2020. I did have a bit of experience in remote work (I worked from home as a fundraising consultant for nine years) so, for me, it was really a matter of getting all the technology in place and learning how to use Zoom and other platforms effectively. I would say that the biggest change in my work life was the sudden loss of face-to-face communication and networking opportunities. As we continue to navigate through the Covid world, some of those opportunities have been reestablished but many are still on hold.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part of my job is really two-fold: 1.) I love having opportunities to introduce EMU, our programs, faculty and students to the world outside of campus (I am continually surprised by people who say “I didn’t know EMU had a (fill in the blank) program!” and 2.) being able to secure gifts and develop relationships that impact the University.

Can you share a little bit about your "day in the life"?

A typical day for me usually starts around 8am when I boot up my laptop and review/respond to emails. I usually have several Zoom or phone meetings with colleagues, faculty, donors, and prospective donors. Often I bring folks on campus for a tour of the newly renovated Sill Hall. That’s another of my favorite things – I love to show off our beautiful new building and the state-of-the-art equipment our students and faculty have access to now! Email correspondence takes up a good part of my day, and I also work with Foundation colleagues, EMU faculty, and staff on grant proposals.