Early Life & Family

Roots in
service and community

"Though I never shared my parents' politics, they were my role models for community and government service, and love of country."

Lisa grew up the oldest of five children in a middle-class family in New Jersey. Her father — born in the United States, the only child of a Puerto Rican mother and a Mexican father who himself had 16 siblings — was a traditional Hispanic husband and father. Her parents instilled in her a deep sense of civic responsibility and love of country that has shaped everything she has done since.

She attended The Ohio State University for her undergraduate education — a decision that came with its own lesson. Her first-choice school, the University of Michigan, had raised its tuition by $500 between the time she applied and the time she was accepted. Ohio State it was. It was the kind of practical constraint that millions of families navigate, and it left its mark. There, she earned a degree in Women's Studies — becoming the first-ever Women's Studies graduate in the university's history.

From Ohio State, Lisa went on to earn her law degree from Yale Law School, one of the most selective institutions in the country. After graduating, she relocated to Massachusetts — where she has lived, worked, and raised her three children ever since.

Career

Building something
that matters

After years at a downtown Boston law firm, Lisa joined one of her clients — a privately held medical device company based in Braintree. It turned out to be one of the defining decisions of her professional life.

For nearly 25 years, she served as an executive and chief legal officer at Haemonetics Corporation, a global medical device company whose products improve outcomes for surgical and cancer patients around the world. She held responsibilities far beyond legal — including human resources, employee health and safety, clinical and regulatory affairs, investor relations, external affairs, and internal audit.

Throughout that time, she was the only woman on the executive team. She helped build a business from a small privately owned company into a NYSE publicly traded global operation. It was thrilling, demanding work — and it taught her that results come from persistence, collaboration, and showing up every single day.

Lisa Lopez, former Chief Legal Officer at Haemonetics Corporation
25 Years At
Haemonetics Corporation
Senior executive and chief legal officer · Global medical device company · Braintree, MA · Improved outcomes for surgical and cancer patients worldwide
Community Service

A lifetime of
showing up

Lisa's commitment to Canton didn't begin when she decided to run for office. It began decades earlier, quietly, through the kinds of sustained civic engagement that rarely makes headlines but shapes communities over time.

She has served in her parish, championed the Community Preservation Act and chaired the initial committee for many years, and worked tirelessly to bring the Paul Revere Heritage Site to life using CPA funds. When the community needed a new pool, she threw herself into the campaign to fund it.

Immediately after Donald Trump's first election, she volunteered as a pro bono immigration attorney — putting her law degree in service of the most vulnerable residents in her community. She has served as a trustee for Cathedral High School, a Boston school serving mostly first-generation college-bound urban youth.

Ongoing
Cathedral High School Trustee
Board trustee for a Boston school serving mostly first-generation college-bound urban youth.
Ongoing
Community Preservation Committee
Championed Canton's adoption of CPA and served as initial committee chair for many years. Helped fund the Paul Revere Heritage Site.
2017-2025
Pro Bono Immigration Attorney
Volunteered her legal expertise to represent immigrants after President Trump's first election — putting credentials in service of community.
Ongoing
Canton Affordable Housing Trust
Championed Canton’s adoption, and now chairs the Trust.
2023–Present
Move the Vote Co-Leader
Co-led a grassroots initiative collecting over 2,000 signatures and winning a ballot campaign to align local election timing.
2024–Present
Canton Housing Authority Chair
Elected in 2024 with the most votes of any candidate in a contested local race. Now chairs the Housing Authority.
The Select Board

She lost.
She ran again.
She won.

In 2019, Lisa ran for Canton's Select Board and lost — by a handful of votes. Most people would have walked away. She doubled down.

The following year she ran again, and won — becoming only the third woman in history to serve on Canton's Select Board. During her tenure she championed the town's municipal energy aggregation program (Canton Electrical Choice), delivering cleaner and cheaper energy to residents. She championed the Affordable Housing Trust to address housing instability among seniors, veterans, disabled adults, and young families.

During the COVID years she collaborated with the Department of Health to run regular informational sessions and helped provide free vaccine distribution across the community.

She lost her bid for re-election in 2023 — and kept serving anyway, because that's who she is.

"Covid demonstrated Canton at its best. Municipal employees and residents pulled together to keep everyone safe."
Where She Stands Now

Retired. Ready.
All in.

Lisa is retired from all paid, private sector work. This isn't a campaign she's fitting around other commitments — it's a full-time commitment to becoming the most effective, available, and responsive State Representative possible for Canton, Stoughton, and Avon.

She brings to this race something rare: the legal expertise of a Yale-trained attorney, the operational experience of a 25-year corporate executive, and the community credibility of someone who has shown up for Canton for four decades — through wins and losses alike.

The 6th Norfolk District deserves a representative who is in it completely. That's exactly what Lisa Lopez is offering.

Current Roles
Chair, Canton Housing Authority
Elected 2024 · Most votes of any contested candidate
Chair, Affordable Housing Trust
Canton, Massachusetts
Member, Capital Planning Committee
~$10M in annual municipal & school capital recommendations
Co-Leader, Move the Vote
Grassroots civic participation initiative
Trustee, Cathedral High School
Boston · First-generation college-bound youth
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Prefer a check? Make payable to Committee to Elect Lisa Lopez · 673 Sherman St, Canton MA 02021