Lisa Naas Cook currently serves as the Climate Program Manager after joining the Gorge Commission as the Vital Sign Indicators Planner in 2020. Lisa’s past work experience spans facilitation, education, ecological restoration, and public lands policy with the South Gifford Pinchot Collaborative, Columbia Gorge Community College, The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service. As a conversation facilitator with Oregon Humanities since 2015, she is deeply committed to creating opportunities for meaningful civic dialogue across the state and also serves as a facilitation trainer.
The common thread in Lisa’s work is a passion for connecting people across difference to listen, learn, and cultivate resilient communities together. She holds a M.A. in Applied Theology from Marylhurst University and a B.S. in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University. A gorge resident since 2007, Lisa cherishes time in the woods and exploring swimming holes with her family.