Professional Achievement Award

Lisa Osborne Ross, Jour ’84
Brinklow, Md.

Lisa Ross’s career is marked not only by her professional achievements but also by her incredible dedication to service, mentorship, and faith. As a communications industry trailblazer, Lisa spent more than 30 years addressing complex challenges and amplifying voices that need to be heard. Despite the careful planning required by her work, she strives to approach life with a profound openness to the present and to God’s plan for her.

“I work really hard to stay in the present and keep myself logistically and spiritually open to God’s plan,” Lisa says. This perspective has allowed her to remain nimble and purpose-driven. During her time at global communications firm Edelman, where she served as U.S. CEO until 2023, Lisa counseled leaders in social impact, public affairs, and crisis management. Her role as one of the few Black women to helm a global firm has inspired a new generation of professionals. For Lisa, though, success isn’t just about professional outcomes but about making a difference. “I’ve made a difference if I’ve helped someone feel better, see the world more clearly, or gain something they needed but didn’t have before,” she says.

Her passion for problem-solving and helping others is reflected in her engagement in community efforts that closely align with her values. She sits on the boards of Meridian International Center, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, National Partnership for Women and Families and Loyola University New Orleans. These roles allow her to promote diplomacy, equity, global understanding, and human rights while giving back to the Jesuit education that shaped her.

Lisa credits Marquette with shaping her worldview and reinforcing the values that guide her daily. She chose Marquette for its strong journalism program and Jesuit values, and she found a community here that embraced her and prepared her for life. She recalls the life-changing mentorship of Professor George Reedy, former press secretary to Lyndon B. Johnson, and the close relationship she formed with Dr. Xavier Cole, former Marquette VP of Student Affairs and now president of Loyola New Orleans, Paul Markovina among other Marquette friendships over the years. Today, she carries Marquette’s ethos into her life and work: “Enduring love, values and principles that withstand the test of time, and, ultimately, faith in the power of goodness.”

Her faith and commitment to service are also deeply tied to her family’s legacy and their philosophy of answering the call to both do well and do good. Lisa often reflects on her maternal grandfather, Rev. Wade Little, who — though she never met him in life — inspired her openness to different perspectives and her dedication to building bridges.

For Lisa, receiving the Professional Achievement Award is both humbling and symbolic. Recent experiences reconnecting with Marquette friends and mourning the loss of loved ones reminded her of the enduring power of Marquette values. “I’ve been blessed and should continue to live and give as much as I can in honor of those who no longer can,” she says.

Fun Facts:

• Marquette may not have been her first choice, but Lisa is grateful her parents sent her to Milwaukee. “My parents and I liked Marquette because we agreed it was important to leave home but have family close by. My parents were strong proponents of [a] Jesuit education, and my brother, Peter was a junior at Marquette and could watch over me,” she says.
• Years later, Lisa’s daughter, Claire, Arts ’15, fell in love with Marquette on a campus visit, applied, and received an academic award.