Lisa has more than 30 years experience in public relations with a focus on clients in hospitality, travel and non-profit sectors. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Lisa began her career on the East Coast working at PR firms, in-house and ultimately running her own boutique agency in Boston. Her diverse background, which ranges from marketing and community relations for a weekly newspaper group to event marketing and PR strategies for start-ups, gives Lisa a broad perspective of how public relations can positively impact businesses of all sizes.

After 15 years in the northeast, she returned to Austin in 2004 to raise her family in Longhorn country, happily leaving behind the snow shovel and tireless search for tasty Tex-Mex. Lisa initially managed public relations at one of Austin’s leading advertising agencies, followed by running the lifestyle group at Austin’s oldest independent PR agency. She re-opened her independent public relations firm in 2009 as Newton O’Neill Communications. In 2018, Newton O’Neill Communications merged with POM PR to form Breakaway Public Relations, a full-service consumer PR agency serving clients such as Georgetown, Texas, AIA Austin, We Are Blood, the National Museum of the Pacific War, Blue Genie Art Bazaar and Texas 4000 for Cancer.

Lisa is a long-time supporter of World Vision and its child sponsorship program, along with nonprofits in the Austin area such as Explore Austin and Center for Child Protection. Her passion for social justice and preserving the environment are reflected in the client roster and operations at Breakaway PR.