Public Knowledge Welcomes New Senior Policy Analyst, Lisa Macpherson, to Strengthen Platform Accountability

Public Knowledge is pleased to announce one addition and two staff changes. First, Public Knowledge welcomes Senior Policy Analyst Lisa Macpherson to our team to lead our work on content moderation and the protection of democratic information systems, including local journalism.

Ms. Macpherson worked as a consumer marketing manager at Fisher-Price, Timberland, Hallmark and Custom Ink, and as an independent marketing consultant at Pernod Ricard before joining Public Knowledge as a Senior Policy Fellow in 2020. Her experience in transformation of digital marketing on behalf of brands has raised concerns about the broader impacts of digital technology on individual well-being, civil society, journalism and democracy. She was a Fellow and Senior Fellow of Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative from 2019-2021, studying how best to mitigate the negative externalities of digital technology. Lisa is also the editor of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Social Impact Review, an online journal focused on social impact innovation. Ms. Macpherson holds a BA from Colgate University and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Additionally, Public Knowledge is pleased to announce the promotion of Courtney Lee to Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Lee has over 10 years of experience in the management of non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, she served as Director of Operations at the Sunlight Foundation, where she worked on grants management, accounting, human resources, and corporate compliance. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and recently completed her MBA from the University of Maryland’s Global Campus.

Finally, Public Knowledge is pleased to announce the promotion of Sara Collins to Senior Policy Advisor to lead our work in the area of ​​data protection and consumer privacy. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Ms. Collins served as a policy advisor on the Education & Youth Privacy team of the Future of Privacy Forum and specialized in higher education. She has also worked as an investigative attorney with Federal Student Aid’s Law Enforcement Unit, as well as Director of Legal Services for Veterans Education Success. Ms. Collins graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2014, where she served as symposium editor for the Journal of Gender and the Law, and earned a BA in political science and English from the University of Illinois.

The following can be attributed to Public Knowledge President and CEO Chris Lewis:

“It is with great pleasure that I officially welcome Lisa Macpherson as a permanent member of the Public Knowledge team. For nearly two years, Lisa has been a fantastic part of our team as a Senior Fellow, helping us lead our research and study work at the intersection of the decline of local and independent news sources with the challenge growing misinformation online. Lisa came to us with a unique experience from a long career in marketing, and her knowledge of the evolutions of the advertising market brought new perspectives to civil society. We are fortunate to continue to benefit from his knowledge, intelligence and leadership skills.

“I am also pleased to recognize two Public Knowledge staff members with promotions: Courtney Lee as Chief Operating Officer and Sara Collins as Senior Policy Advisor. Courtney’s tireless work ethic, organizational skills and team spirit have made her a pillar of our organization. Although much of her work is rarely in the spotlight, Courtney’s financial management and people skills have allowed our team of experts to shine and grow since she joined us at the start of 2020. Sara Collins has also quickly demonstrated advanced skills in policy analysis and public advocacy since her arrival. us in early 2020. She has become a leading voice on online privacy issues and an important part of our broader advocacy strategy on Capitol Hill. His expertise and leadership will be a key part of our program to promote platform accountability and build a better Internet.

You can check our staff page for more information.

Members of the media can contact Director of Communications Shiva Stella with questions, interview requests, or to join Public Knowledge’s press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.