This brown belt in Shorin Ryu karate hasn't always been a web diva. Lisa, after obtaining a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Adelphi University, actually pursued a Masters Degree in Geography at the University of Maryland. Oddly enough, it was her work as a Cartographer for the Census Bureau that drew Lisa into the world of all things web.

"I began writing web applications for mapping projects," says Lisa, who then became a UNIX Administrator for the Bureau, using the web to allow operators on different platforms to access software on UNIX servers. From then on, she was hooked. Lisa developed her division's first web site from scratch and encouraged web-based applications in her work. She quickly became peripherally involved in various web projects at the Bureau and developed a reputation for expertise in web development. Lisa had a major role in the successful redesign of the Bureau's main web site (www.census.gov) and eventually joined their Internet staff.

Well-known in the DCWW community for her Perl skills, Lisa also uses MySQL and PHP in her work. Her favorite HTML editor is vi. Lisa attributes much of her success to getting involved in the professional networking circles in the area: "I think it's very important to get out there - whether by taking an active role in mailing lists, attending conferences, etc." In addition to her involvement with DCWW, Lisa is a member of DC Perl Mongers.

While probably not as important to her as her kitty Mel, Lisa considers the following websites to be her go-to guide:
www.perl.com: for all things Perl
www.tcx.se: for all things mySQL
www.securityfocus.com: for computer security info and BUGTRAQ
www.marthastewart.com: for recipes (it can't be ALL work!)