Tuscon Local Media: Lisa Bayless (SSW’06) Recognized for Local Philanthropy
A master of social work degree prepares graduates for many different careers, even those that do not fall within the social work field. BU School of Social Work alumna Lisa Bayless (SSW’06) is one example of an MSW graduate who applies her community-building skills to an entirely different industry: real estate. As a real estate agent, Bayless has taken every opportunity to help support her community through various philanthropic acts, such as eliminating the Oro Valley public school’s $2,100 school lunch debt.
Excerpt from “Real Estate Agent’s Philanthropy Supports Oro Valley” by Katya Mendoza
‘I have always believed that the communities that you do business in, particularly as a small business owner, [that] you rely on that community and in turn that community relies on you,’ Bayless said. ‘It’s a very intertwined relationship. The stronger those communities become, the stronger our business becomes.’
Besides donating a portion of her commission from every sale to local nonprofits, Bayless has served on the board of the Rialto Theater and is an active senior board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson and other nonprofit organizations. While striving to stay connected to “Tucson’s heartbeat,” Bayless has also recently donated to the Oro Valley Police Department, Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, Canyon Del Oro Assembly of God Food Pantry, as well as eliminating the $2,100 school lunch debt for Oro Valley’s public schools last year…
It was while she was completing a graduate degree in social work from Boston University in 2006 that Bayless discovered her passion for real estate.
‘I began to realize that real estate is about relationships and communicating with people, understanding what they need, what their motivations are, and helping them find a place to go home,’ Bayless said. ‘It was not too different, actually, than what I have been studying.’”