REM Award Honorees (2003) — Lisa Christensen (REM)

So much that is the world we enjoy is of a quiet, peaceful nature . . . the beauty of the butterfly, the quiet of the snowflake, the hum of the wind in the pines. The strength of REM is in the diversity of its grassroots. Lisa Christensen symbolizes perfectly the power of the quiet, peaceful nature that is such an important part of our diversity.

There are many ways to serve community. Lisa serves by being there . . . always. Lisa does something for every REM event. She’ll wash windows, clean greasy pans, record fine minutes, work on very complicated HTML for our web site, and serves as secretary for our board of directors. Commitment, especially difficult in today’s frazzled world, is a precious treasure highly valued by every organization. Lisa is a woman of her word; if she makes a commitment, she keeps it. She balances her life very well. She makes a difference to those whom she serves without sacrificing unduly her family or her career.

In today’s world, there are many who speak, sometimes seemingly in tongues. Listening has become very important as decision-making becomes more critical. Lisa is a great listener. She sorts out the confusion, focuses on what needs to be done, and simply does it . . . quietly, often unnoticed, until after and you look back and realize, “Yes, when that fell apart, Lisa put it back together.”

When Lisa speaks, people listen because they have come to realize that Lisa only speaks when there’s something important to say. What she says comes pre-sorted. Lisa’s voice is the voice of a peacemaker . . . soft and mesmerizing. We don’t even have to talk about how important the peacemakers are to our world.

It is with the greatest respect and love that we honor Lisa Christensen with the 2003 REM Award.