LASA JOINER

Lasa Joiner has been professionally involved in legislative issues for twenty-four years and is a veteran of education and medical issues. Lasa started her own company representing non-profit advocacy organizations and professional trade associations in 1985. JLH Consulting has grown from a firm devoted to legislative monitoring and lobbying, to now include crisis intervention, public issue campaigns, and association management.

First appointed to the Board of the Department of Human Resources, the largest department in state government, by Governor Joe Frank Harris in 1990, Lasa was appointed to a second term by Governor Zell Miller in 1995. She served as Chair of the Board 1997-1999 – the first woman elected to serve in that position.

Lasa is known as one of the most effective medical specialty lobbyists, and recognized as one of the most knowledgeable about education funding formulas, curriculum issues, and state and local education policy.

She presented Win One for Your Team: Using Political Capital Wisely for the American Psychiatric Association Governmental Relations and Public Affairs Joint Institute. In 2009 she lectured on association strategic planning at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Joint Meeting.

Lasa is the recipient of the 2008 Dancing Elephant Award from the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association for excellence in administrative leadership. In November 2008, she was recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology as the Outstanding Executive Director for Political Action. Lasa was presented with the 2009 Morton B. Dugan Distinguished Service Award by the Georgia Society for Respiratory Care.

A graduate of Mercer University, Lasa was named an Outstanding Young Leader of Atlanta and is an alumna of Leadership DeKalb. She is a member of the Junior League, and serves on the Advisory Board of the George West Mental Health Foundation.