Giant in our City

Lisa Eccles is President, COO and a Director of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, one of Utah’s largest and oldest private philanthropic foundations. 

Lisa has always had a strong personal commitment to making a difference which has guided her work at the Foundation for the past 30 years. She oversees the Foundation’s vast grantmaking program that distributes nearly 400 grants each year and has awarded $850 million in grants since 1982. Along the way, she’s cultivated impactful public-private partnerships and philanthropic collaborations, and developed deep and lasting relationships with Utah’s nonprofit community, actively supporting their dedication in serving the people of Utah. 

In addition to her leadership of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Lisa serves as a director of the Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation and the Eccles family-owned hotel, the Goldener Hirsch, in Deer Valley, Utah. Active both locally and nationally, she is a board member of the National Park Foundation and has served on the National Trust for Historic Preservation – National Trust Council as well as the boards of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Utah Community Builders – Salt Lake Chamber, Preservation Utah, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Salt Lake County Center for the Arts, Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Intermountain Healthcare’s Community Care Foundation among others. 

Lisa’s years of leadership and community involvement has been recognized by many organizations including Catholic Community Services of Utah, Junior Achievement and the Utah Humanities Council. In 2019, she received the Sundance Institute “Women’s Leadership Award,” and in 2024, Lisa was named one of Utah’s Most Influential Women by Utah Business Magazine.  

An ardent lifelong fan of the University of Utah, she holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the U and has served two terms on its Board of Trustees, and chaired its Campus Master Plan Committee. She has also served on the U’s National Advisory Council, its capital campaign steering committee, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Endowment for Medical School Excellence and the College of Music advisory board among others.  

An avid skier, tennis player and enthusiastic sports fan, Lisa enjoys hiking – especially in our national parks – exploring the world, doing good, cheering for her beloved Utes and spending time with family and friends.