Co-Founder & Executive Director

Lisa Newton

Lisa Newton is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the South Loudoun Youth Chorale (SLYC). As a Long Island native, she has devoted her career to music, the performing arts, and nonprofit leadership. With nearly a decade of experience as an arts manager and consultant, Lisa has worked with organizations like the San Diego Master Chorale, Voce Chamber Singers, and SLYC. She has also served as an Event Production Consultant with Current Co. and J Street Group, collaborating on events ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale productions of up to 2,000 attendees in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Her expertise as a nonprofit leader spans system efficiency, process management, brand development & video production.

From 2016-2020, Lisa was the Artistic Personnel and Production Manager for the San Diego Master Chorale and an ex officio member of the Board of Directors. She spearheaded a full-scale organizational rebrand, implemented an arts-specific CRM to enhance patron relations, and developed a centralized communication system and process for singers. Under her leadership in operations and process improvement, the organization achieved a significant milestone—hiring its first full-time Executive Director.

Before transitioning to nonprofit leadership, Lisa taught middle school and high school choir, orchestra, and theater for the Department of Defense Education Activity in Naples, Italy, as well as high school choir, music theory, and guitar for Fairfax County Public Schools. She also served as a choreographer and talent coach for the Miss District of Columbia Organization (Miss America) and continues to mentor pageant contestants in talent, performance, and stage presence.

Lisa holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Vocal Music Education from James Madison University and Boston University, respectively, along with a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She remains active in the local choral community, currently singing with the Voce Chamber Singers in Vienna, VA, and previously performing professionally with the San Diego Master Chorale and the San Diego Pro Arte Voices.

She holds a Virginia K-12 teaching license in music. In her free time, Lisa enjoys traveling, horseback riding, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two daughters.