Public Knowledge is pleased to announce one addition and two changes to our staff. First, Public Knowledge welcomes Lisa Macpherson, Senior Policy Analyst, to our team to spearhead our work on content moderation and protecting democratic information systems, including local journalism.
Ms. Macpherson worked as a consumer marketing executive at Fisher-Price, Timberland, Hallmark, and Custom Ink, and as an independent marketing consultant at Pernod Ricard before joining Public Knowledge as a Senior Policy Fellow in 2020. Her experience driving digital marketing transformation on behalf of brands led to concerns over the broader impacts of digital technology on individual well being, civil society, journalism, and democracy. She was a Fellow and Senior Fellow in Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative from 2019 through 2021, studying how to best mitigate the negative externalities of digital technology. Lisa is also a Senior Editor of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Social Impact Review, an online journal focused on innovation in social impact. Ms. Macpherson received her B.A. from Colgate University and her MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Additionally, Public Knowledge is pleased to announce the promotion of Courtney Lee to Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Lee has more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit management. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, she served as the Operations Director at The Sunlight Foundation, where she worked on grant management, accounting, human resources, and corporate compliance. She received her B.S. in Business Administration and recently completed her MBA from The University of Maryland Global Campus.
Finally, Public Knowledge is pleased to announce the promotion of Sara Collins to Senior Policy Counsel to lead our work in data protection and consumer privacy. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Ms. Collins served as a Policy Counsel on Future of Privacy Forum’s Education & Youth Privacy team and specialized in higher education. She also worked as an investigations attorney in the Enforcement Unit at Federal Student Aid, as well as the Director of Legal Services for Veterans Education Success. Ms. Collins graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2014, where she was the symposium editor of the Journal of Gender and the Law, and received a B.A. in both Political Science and English from the University of Illinois.
The following may be attributed to Public Knowledge President & CEO Chris Lewis:
“It is with great pleasure that I officially welcome Lisa Macpherson as a permanent member of the Public Knowledge staff. For almost two years, Lisa has been a fantastic part of our team as a Senior Fellow, helping us lead our work to research and study the intersection of the decline of local and independent news sources with the growing challenge of disinformation online. Lisa came to us with unique experience from a long career in marketing, and her knowledge of the changes in the advertising market has brought new insights to civil society. We are fortunate to continue to benefit from her knowledge, intellect, and leadership skills.
“I’m also happy to recognize two Public Knowledge staffers with promotions: Courtney Lee as our Chief Operating Officer and Sara Collins as a Senior Policy Counsel. Courtney’s tireless work ethic, organizational skills, and team spirit has made her a pillar of our organization. While much of her work rarely gets the spotlight, Courtney’s financial management and human relations skills have allowed our team of experts to shine and grow since joining us early in 2020. Sara Collins has also quickly demonstrated advanced skills in policy analysis and public advocacy since joining us in early 2020. She has become a leading voice on issues around online privacy and an important part of our broader advocacy strategy on Capitol Hill. Her expertise and leadership will be a key part of our agenda to promote platform accountability and build a better internet.”
You may view our staff page for more information.
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.