Lisa A. Mills has a passion for building deep relationships with community groups, food pantries, and organizations in DuPage County that enable her to share nutrition content while speaking in positive partner language. Utilizing her 40 years of customer service, she takes the time to listen and grow partnerships through an understanding of their needs, vision, and goals.

Establishing these personal connections is the foundation of her SNAP-Education work. She stays open to the partner’s skillset and shows how she can build on their efforts in the community. Her delivery of conversational, understandable, and relatable nutrition concepts through Direct Education programs is described by partners as the “way in” for participants to embrace the heathy eating message.

Before joining Extension in 2022, Mills spent more than 30 years communicating public health programs on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Feeding America. 

For the CDC, Lisa was National Director of VERB, the $331 million Congressional multi-ethnic social marketing campaign from 2001 to 2008, an RFP that applied commercial marketing techniques to encourage American 9- to 13-year-olds and their parents to change sedentary lifestyles and to promote increased participation in physical activity during non-school hours and other free-time physical activity.  The national program also included higher dose program activity in nine local markets targeting diverse audiences and communities with paid media, added value media, school programs, community-based events, promotions, public relations, community partnerships, corporate partnerships, and websites.

For the partnership of Feeding America and ConAgra Foods, Mills was 5-year National Account Director of Child Hunger Ends Here, a campaign that generated millions of meals each year for member food banks and 61,000 related agencies.