Honoring Lisa McCormack and Embracing Our Year-End Responsibilities

As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself in a reflective mood, filled with gratitude for the achievements and changes of the past year.  The holiday season is a time for appreciation, for recognizing the individuals who make our work fulfilling, and for recognizing the importance of community. This year, I have the bittersweet honor of celebrating the retirement of my longtime business partner and dear friend, Lisa McCormack. 

Lisa has been more than a colleague—she has always been a trusted guide and always had my back.  She gave me my very first HR Consulting assignment and we’ve never looked back.  Since that first little engagement, I benefitted from her management at Melita, then the opportunity to create Affogato, as well as a wonderful friendship (lots of coffee, hockey and wine).  And oh, what a journey it’s been.  Together, we’ve grown an amazing company that has exceeded our expectations, we’ve been through tough stuff and celebrated a lot.   

Lisa has been an important and influential voice in HR in Silicon Valley and beyond.  She has been a steady presence for so many of us, always committed to helping solve problems, while maintaining integrity, warmth and determination.  As Lisa enters her well-deserved retirement, I want to thank her for her unwavering support, her continued friendship, and her countless contributions over the years. I am so grateful that she has left this legacy of excellence at Affogato. 

If you know me, you know I am not usually a complete procrastinator, but I think of myself as “Just-In-Time”.  Knowing how different this year end message would be, I also wanted to leave all of our clients and friends with something practical.  With that in mind, you’ll once again find our 2025 Year-End checklist.  

Want to talk?  Need help with year-end?  Send us a note

Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season, 

Jonna, Lisha, Suzanne, Lisa, Karen and Linda