Lisa Asare is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (NJMIHIA), the first state-established authority in the United States solely dedicated to improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Appointed to this role in March 2024, Ms. Asare provides strategic leadership to a statewide effort focused on reducing disparities, advancing equity, and transforming systems of care for women, infants, and families. In January 2026, she was reappointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of NJMIHIA and selected to serve as a member of Governor Mikie Sherrill’s Cabinet. 

Ms. Asare brings over 25 years of executive experience in New Jersey state government, having held senior positions in both the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services. Her leadership has encompassed oversight of critical programs including the state’s Medicaid system, mental health and addiction services, and family health services. Notably, she served as the Department of Health’s lead for former First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative, where she contributed to the development and implementation of the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan. Through this work, she helped mobilize multi-sector collaborations and secure public and private funding to address the root causes of poor maternal and infant health outcomes. 

Widely respected for her policy expertise, strategic vision, and dedication to equity, Ms. Asare is known for cultivating strong partnerships across public, private, and community sectors to drive systemic change. In recognition of her contributions, she received the 2023 Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) Director’s Award from the Health Resources and Services Administration.