Meet the Pine Island Chamber Board — Lisa Johnson
Lisa Johnson recently joined the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She moved to Matlacha approximately 7 years ago and said she saw the chamber doing a number of fantastic things, which made her decide it was her turn to give back to the community by becoming a board member.
“One of the reasons I joined was because of Tammy,” Johnson said of fellow board member, Tammy Aeschliman. “And also, my wife, Jen, who had been on the board.”
Johnson describes Aeschliman as energetic and enthusiastic, with a great deal of love for the island. Having found her friend’s attitude so contagious, is, in part, what led to Johnson’s agreement to take a seat on the board herself.
“My thought was, I want to be on her team. I want to do things for the board, for the chamber and for our island. I love Matlacha, I love Pine Island, I love St. James City and Bokeelia. I love our atmosphere — our paradise down here, so if I can help this place be just a little bit better and do it through the chamber, then that’s why I’m there,” Johnson said.
Wanting to spread the word about island life, with a positive attitude, Johnson said, is a top priority for her as a member of the chamber board. She and her wife, she said, are accustomed to volunteering and always ready to lend a hand to fellow islanders.
“Because of Jen, you always get two. If you get me, you get her, and if you get her, you get me,” Johnson said.
So far, her experience as a board member has been one of absorption, she said, as she tries to gain both knowledge and experience from the other board members. In the future, she said, she plans to take everything she’s learning and expand it to keep the board where they always want to be.
“Whether it’s a happy event, a business event, a neighborhood event or a community event. That’s a lot of energy — it takes a lot of time and volunteers, but I think if we take turns passing the baton, no one will get burned out,” Johnson said.
Johnson said if the opportunity presents itself in the future, she would have no problem stepping into an officer role. She describes the greatest aspect of the board as teamwork.
“When we sit at a meeting, it’s awesome how nobody has the same ideas. We all listen to each other and then we collaborate about what we think would work best. We don’t shoot each other down, we listen to each other. That’s what makes a good team. We work together, and at this point, I don’t think we have a weak link. I think we are a strong force,” Johnson said.
To reach PAULETTE LeBLANC / pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com, please email