Lisa Jardanhazy

Lisa Jardanhazy came to Operation Smile 28 years ago, recruited to start up a marketing and communications department for the organization that had just been awarded the first Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. Since then, she has held key positions in brand marketing, communications, corporate partnerships/gifts-in-kind, public relations and executive communications. Jardanhazy has been instrumental in converting Operation Smile’s impact-filled stories into compelling messaging and communications that raise both awareness and funds for the organization, serving on the leadership team for two of Operation Smile’s signature initiatives, 1999’s World Journey of Hope, and World Journey of Smiles in 2007. In 2011, Jardanhazy served as co-producer for an original and award-winning Operation Smile documentary film about Vietnam, “A Cure To War.”

With the advent of the global pandemic in 2020, Jardanhazy took on a new role as vice president, internal communications. For the next three years, she developed internal communications strategy and was responsible for the implementation and assessment of communications initiatives that provided timely, engaging and effective content to staff and key stakeholders across the organization. In 2023, Jardanhazy was privileged to begin providing support to the Office of the Founders, working with Bill and Kathy Magee on effective communications strategies.

Prior to Operation Smile, Jardanhazy served as statewide director of marketing and public relations for Virginia Opera, her first employment in the nonprofit sector. Before moving to Virginia, she worked in retail management and retail promotions for major national retail chains headquartered in Pennsylvania and then in brand management for Heinz USA. She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and today resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.