Lisa Kouchakdjian
Born to parents who were first generation Armenian-Americans, I was raised in Natick on land that my grandfather purchased as a farm in the very early 20th Century. The daughter of a farmer, I learned early on the value of a hard days’ work and a strong work ethic. In addition to Sudbury’s historic charm, my love of land, open space and strong schools brought me to Sudbury in 1998.
Upon graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 1992 with a major in Political Science and a minor in French, I pursued a career in the law, graduating from Suffolk University Law School in 1996. Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in December of 1996, I joined the law firm of Swartz & Swartz in Boston. I practiced plaintiff’s civil litigation with a focus on medical malpractice and personal injury. I acquired substantive hands-on experience in this role practicing with some of the most renowned attorneys in Boston. In my mid-20s I was trying my own cases in the Massachusetts Superior Courts.
In 2000, I transitioned to what was then known as Boyle, Morrissey & Campo, P.C., where I practiced insurance defense until 2004. In addition to aggressively advocating for my clients, I gained extensive experience in mediation and negotiation. Experiences as both a Plaintiff’s lawyer and Defendant’s lawyer has helped me to look at issues from multiple perspectives.
In 2003, I married my husband Ara. We are blessed with four children. As the children have gotten older, I have become more involved in public service in Sudbury. I began my public service in Sudbury joining the Sudbury SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) in 2012, and eventually became the Chair of SEPAC. I served on the Community Resources Awareness Network (CRANE) at the same time.
In 2015, I was honored to be elected to the Sudbury School Committee, and was re-elected to serve a second term in 2018. I was Chair of the Sudbury School Committee for almost two and a half years from May of 2018 to September of 2020. In 2018 I was also appointed to Sudbury’s Commission on Disability where I continue to serve. In 2021, I was elected Vice-Chair of the Commission on Disability.
I have also been certified as a Community Access Monitor by the Massachusetts Office on Disability. In August of 2020 I became the Chair of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Special Education Parent Advisory Council where I continue to serve.