Published: August 13, 2025

Staff Spotlight: Lisa Holman

Lisa HolmanThis month, we feature Lisa Holman, the Academy's Senior Director of Finance, a dedicated professional who has spent a decade ensuring the financial integrity and stability of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and its Foundation (AAO-HNS/F). With her keen eye for detail and passion for numbers, Lisa oversees all accounting, tax, and audit activities.

How long have you been at the Academy? Ten years.

What do you do as the Senior Director of Finance? I am responsible for managing all the accounting, tax and audit-related activities of the Academy and its Foundation, as well as the ENT PAC*—the non-partisan political action committee of the AAO-HNS.

How did you get involved in finance? In high school, I took a bookkeeping class and discovered I was very good at accounting. With some encouragement from my teacher, I decided to pursue it as a career. Longwood University (then Longwood College) did not offer a major in accounting, so I ended up with a major in business administration with a concentration in accounting. When I graduated from college, I was fortunate to get a job in the accounting department of a nonprofit organization. That is where my career path as an accountant began.

What is something readers might be surprised to know about you? I love to draw. It all started with sketching an animated picture from the TV Guide when I was about seven years old. Although it has been some time since I picked up a sketch pad, I plan to pursue my love of drawing as a serious hobby when I hang up my hat as an accountant.

Tell us about one of your most memorable moments working for the Academy. There are many, but the one that comes to mind is when I was asked to serve as staff liaison for the Nominating Committee, which is responsible for identifying and recommending candidates for elected and appointed positions within the organization. I wasn't quite sure of the responsibilities, but I thought it would be a great introduction to the Academy's leaders. That was eight years ago, and I still view my role as the staff liaison to the Nominating Committee as one of the highlights of my duties.