Lisa Buchanan currently serves as Director, Education and Workforce Solutions at the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, a collaboration of economic development partners in the South Bend –Elkhart region, which encompasses 47 communities in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. The organization serves as a single point of contact for regional communication and seeks to advance economic opportunities for all partner members through collaborative promotion, marketing, and capacity building efforts.
As Director, Education and Workforce Solutions, Lisa manages and supports educational and workforce initiatives that will increase the availability of work-ready talent for key industry sectors in the South Bend – Elkhart region, ultimately leading to an increase in the postsecondary attainment level and per capita personal income for the region’s residents. Lisa leads the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership’s efforts in executing Applied Learning and Digital Workforce Skills programs to enhance the talent and workforce pipelines within Advanced Industry, Manufacturing, and STEM sectors.
Prior to joining the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership in 2022, Lisa spent 15 years in workforce development. She previously held positions in Indianapolis for EmployIndy, the Workforce Development Board of Indianapolis and served as the Deputy Chief for Workforce Programs for the Employment Development Division of the State of California, just to name a few.
