Lisa Podolny is the Chief of Provincial Relations at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, China since June 2022.  Prior to Shanghai, she served as the Economic Unit Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil, Iraq.  Lisa has also had assignments in Kyiv, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Manila. 

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Lisa spent 21 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Chinese Linguist and Intelligence Officer.  She first visited China in 1999 as a student in Beijing, and since that time, has travelled extensively through China as a student, tourist, and in her official capacity as a diplomat.

Lisa earned her BA in Chinese Language and History from the University of Washington and holds an MA in Strategic Intelligence from American University and an MS in Project Management from Northeastern University.  She speaks Chinese, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Tagalog.  Lisa is married with six children and enjoys yoga and running in her spare time.