USO Okinawa Service Spotlight – Lisa Wease

Position/Title: Senior Center Manager
At the USO: Mar. 29, 2016 to Present
Center/Office location: USO Kadena

Lisa Wease is originally from Phoenix, Arizona and grew up loving the sunshine, outdoors and dogs. She holds a BS in Business Administration, a certificate in Management, and is a Certified Apartment Manager. Her 2021 goals are to pursue an MBA and obtain her Project Management Professional certificate. Her USO journey has taken her to several overseas locations including Caserma Ederle, Incirlik Air Base, and Kadena Air Base. She has a passion for connecting service members regardless of where the mission takes them and is a true advocate for the USO mission. Lisa has completed over 2k programs to reach 500k service members through her tenure with the USO. Previously, she was a residential property manager, member of the Apartment Association of Southern Colorado, Leadership Lyceum graduate and mentor to others.
Outside of work within the USO her passion is traveling the world. Having visited over 50 countries, she finds inspiration and excitement in new adventures and meeting new people. As the COVID pandemic has minimized traveling, she finds adventure in exploring Okinawa, camping, and enjoying one of many beautiful beaches on island.

Fun Questions for Lisa
What’s your favorite spot or activity on Okinawa: I love riding my bike near the seawall. It is always relaxing and wonderful to see so many people enjoying the island life.

What are your favorite hobbies: Traveling, softball, camping and anything with great people!

Why do you love working at the USO? The USO mission! Connecting Service Members to family, home and country is a large task that comes with a variety of innovative programs and challenges. Although the mission remains the same, we can execute in multiple capacities all over the world. I am inspired and grateful every single day.

What is your favorite memory of working at the USO? That’s such a hard question because there are so many. Riding in a UH60 to deliver holiday cheer to deployed serviced members in a remote location was an amazing experience. I also find happiness in surprising service members through random acts of kindness and engaging with the community.

Which program do you want to feature from the USO? USO Kadena launched a worldwide trivia and online streaming platform in response to COVID-19. This virtual platform will be our showcase program throughout 2021. Look for us live streaming via Twitch and offering digital engagement as we navigate this new venture.