After 18 remarkable years of leadership, Lisa Cline has announced her decision to step down as CEO of Wallace Medical Concern. Her departure marks the close of an extraordinary chapter — one defined by vision, determination, compassion, and an unwavering belief in what Wallace could become.
When Lisa joined Wallace in 2008 as Executive Director, the organization was a small but deeply committed community health provider serving uninsured residents in East Multnomah County. With a staff of just seven, a handful of services, and an extraordinary corps of volunteer healthcare professionals, Wallace had strong roots and an important mission. What it needed was the vision and leadership to imagine what was possible.
Lisa helped provide that vision.
Over the next 18 years, she played a central role in transforming Wallace from a small volunteer-driven organization into the thriving Community Health Center it is today. Under her leadership, Wallace expanded its services and reach, secured federal Community Health Center designation and HRSA funding in 2012, opened its first permanent clinic, launched a second medical clinic in 2015, and added dental services in 2016.
In 2020, that growth culminated in the opening of Wallace’s state-of-the-art facility as part of the Rockwood Redevelopment project. Today, Wallace provides integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services, with expanded hours and a growing range of ways to meet the needs of the community.
These accomplishments represent far more than buildings, programs, and funding. They reflect Lisa’s ability to see what Wallace could become — and then bring people together to make it happen. She understood that growth was important, but that growth without purpose would never be enough. Throughout her tenure, she championed the idea that Wallace could evolve while remaining true to the values and community spirit that had defined it from the beginning.
Some of the decisions made during Lisa’s tenure proved particularly consequential. Pursuing federal funding, participating in Oregon’s alternative payment model, expanding services, and especially adding dental care strengthened Wallace’s ability to serve patients and created a foundation for long-term sustainability. Those investments not only helped Wallace navigate the extraordinary challenges of the pandemic but positioned the organization for the future.
Perhaps Lisa’s greatest legacy, however, is the culture and community she helped build. Wallace has always been about people —about relationships, trust, compassion, and the belief that healthcare can change lives. Lisa recognized and nurtured those qualities. She often speaks of the ‘Wallace miracles’ she witnessed over the years: moments when passionate people came together at just the right time and accomplished something greater than any one person could have achieved alone.
It is no surprise that, wherever Lisa goes, she seems to encounter someone with a Wallace connection — a former volunteer, employee, patient, community partner, journalist, friend of Wallace’s founder, Dr. Jim Reuler, or someone whose life was touched by the organization. Those connections are part of the remarkable legacy Wallace has built, and Lisa has been an important steward of that legacy.
Lisa leaves Wallace knowing that the organization is strong, vibrant, and well positioned for the future. A new Student Health Center, truly integrated care, collaboration with CareOregon Dental, expanded hours, and an exceptional team of dedicated professionals all reflect the momentum she helped create.
Wallace today is, in many ways, a reflection of Lisa’s leadership: ambitious but grounded, innovative but deeply connected to its roots, and always focused on the people and community it serves.
After 18 years, Lisa leaves with the gratitude of countless colleagues, patients, partners, and community members — and with the knowledge that she helped shape an organization whose impact will extend well beyond her tenure.
As she looks toward what comes next, Lisa plans to spend more time with her husband, family, and friends, while making room for gardening, music, art, travel, perhaps design school, and continued engagement in her community.
Her time at Wallace may be coming to an end, but the organization she helped build — and the lives it touches — will carry her legacy forward for many years to come.
Lisa can be reached at lisacline2012@gmail.com and looks forward to staying connected with the many people who have been part of her Wallace journey.