Lisa Van Alstyne

Lisa is currently a Policy Analyst with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR). WSFR administers policy and program implementation for Federal financial assistance awards totaling over $1.3 billion annually. 

She formally retired from her position as a Fish and Wildlife Administrator for the WSFR Program in December 2022, after more than 13 years of federal service. She currently has returned to WSFR as a part-time contractor through the Experienced Services Program, and is assisting in completing some regulatory activities. 

Lisa spent most of her life in Upstate New York, growing up in a small community on the banks of the Hudson River. She has an A.S. from Hudson Valley Community College in Environmental Science and a B.S. in Environmental Affairs from the College of St. Rose. Prior to joining the USFWS, she worked for the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. and the New York State Department of Health. In these capacities she managed programs to deliver education, conservation funding and support, and public health initiatives. Working with government agencies on all levels (from small municipalities to Federal agencies), industry associations, businesses, special interest groups, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and the public, Lisa developed relationships, partnerships, and communities of practice to support the various efforts she was engaged with. While working for the Service, Lisa continued to apply these practices by working collaboratively in engaging with multiple internal and external partners in developing and managing policy for the many financial assistance programs that WSFR administers.

Lisa has organized events over the years to encourage her co-workers and the local community to be involved in activities focused on environmental health. (Favorite holiday – Earth Day!) She is proud to have served as a member of the Service’s Barrier Analysis Team for three years, and as a member of the Mentoring Advisory Working Group, striving to improve diversity, inclusion, relationship, career support, and acceptance in the Service’s workforce and culture.

Lisa is very pleased and proud to report that she completed Managing by Network in 2018, presenting a case study on WSFR and earning an Honors Certificate. She also graduated from Collaborative Conservation: Partnerships in Practice in 2019, an advanced-level course that builds on the foundational skills taught in Managing by Network. She was so inspired by the work of the Partnership Academy, she wanted to continue engaging this community of practice. She has served as a Facilitation Fellow and as a guest instructor (introducing the Sunshine Laws, FACA, and PRA) for MbN and also as a guest instructor and mentor for C2P2 classes.

Lisa currently lives in Lovettsville, VA, but is considering a move in the future that will bring her closer to family. She enjoys hiking, yoga, gardening, writing, hanging with her Aussie Daisy and her cat Scamper, and especially - being Grammy.