Lieutenant Lisa Ohnstad

Lisa is a builder of bridges. She has two Wyoming sheepherders to thank. At age 16, she left her family and moved halfway across Wyoming to work on a ranch. Her bosses, both veterans, encouraged her to pursue her education and create new opportunities for herself. Armed with a new idea plus support and encouragement, Lisa completed her GED and enrolled at the University of Wyoming where she earned a BS in business administration in 2002. She also met the man who would become her husband, an Army veteran who had just returned to the state after his service.

Inspired by the service of her two sheepherder bosses and her husband, Lisa joined the Army National Guard and soon transferred to the Air National Guard to pursue an advanced degree and new opportunities.

Today, she is pursuing dual advanced degrees – a Master of Business Administration and a Doctorate of Pharmacy – while serving as a lieutenant in the Air National Guard. She plans to become a pharmacist working in rural Wyoming. She will continue in the Wyoming Air National Guard as a Health Services Administrator, facilitating transportation of the sick and wounded.

Lisa sees communication breakdowns between the business and medical fields, as well as between civilian first responders and military emergency medical responders. She believes her varied educational, military and life experiences will help bridge those communication gaps, ultimately providing better patient care.