Title: Director of Management
Firm: Ohio Treasurer of the State
Age: 30
Lisa Eisenberg says she didn’t set her sights on a public finance career, public finance chose her.
The Chagrin Falls, Ohio-native, who moved to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University and never left, recalls it was a friend’s internship at the Treasurer’s office during her own last year of undergrad work at Ohio State that gave Lisa the idea of submitting her resume as she eyed a finance career.
“Joining the Treasurer’s office right out of school happened by chance,” Lisa said. “What I find most special about working in the public sector is knowing that the work I do has a large-scale benefit for Ohioans. Our bond issues finance projects that ease transportation, provide recreational spaces, and build education facilities that all Ohio residents can take advantage of.”
Lisa, 30, spent the last two years pursuing an MBA at Ohio University, graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. The self-proclaimed “avid Buckeye football fan” also claims the title of certified tourism ambassador for Columbus.
Professional life seems to be getting back to normal, but she thinks the use of videoconferencing will stick even though she values in-person meetings. “The public finance industry has made great strides to keep up with the changes in the technology landscape,” Lisa said.
In her professional role, Lisa leads management of state bond issuance and repayment of an $11 billion debt portfolio under five unique credits. She joined the state in 2013 as a financial analyst and was elevated to deputy debt manager in 2016 and tapped for her current role in early 2020.
“A prime example of Lisa’s leadership and creativity is the revival of the Ohio Enterprise Bond Fund” an economic development tool designed to provide credit enhancement for high impact projects,” said Jonathan Azoff, chief of finance & senior counsel in the treasurer’s office, who nominated her.
“Lisa has also been instrumental in the growth of the Ohio Market Access Program, a credit enhancement program for Ohio local government notes," he said. "Lisa brings creativity and innovation to Ohio’s public finance challenges, and she is most certainly among the brightest young minds in the industry.”
