Arts Foundation to Honor Lisa Oliver with Creative Visionary Award

February 18, 2026 (Cape Cod, MA) – In June, the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod will celebrate Lisa Oliver with its Creative Visionary Award at its Arts Gala on Thursday, June 11th at the Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port. The award recognizes Lisa’s longstanding support of the arts and her commitment to giving back through her volunteerism and philanthropy. 

“Well before Lisa and her husband Richard moved to the Cape, they were champions of the arts and understood the critical role that they play in our lives and our communities,” said Arts Foundation Executive Director Julie Wake. “Since arriving here in 2017, Lisa has put that belief into action through her role at Cape & Coast Bank. She was able to leverage her leadership into making a meaningful difference in the region’s arts sector. The Arts Foundation is grateful to Lisa for serving as an ambassador for arts and culture and for reminding us of the many ways the arts strengthen our economy and enhance the vibrancy of this special place we call home.”

“The Arts Foundation has played a huge role in our lives since we got here,” said Lisa. “They were one of the first organizations we became engaged with. Julie Wake has been a huge piece of that engagement because of who she is, the team she has created, and the work the Arts Foundation does, from providing scholarships for kids to supporting artists to convening an annual conference for creatives to share stories, celebrate successes, and tackle challenges together.”

The Olivers came to Cape Cod in 2017 when Lisa was tapped to lead Cape & Coast Bank, serving as its fifth President and CEO and first female to assume the role in its 105-year history. Last October, she bid farewell to a 40-year career in the financial sector when she retired from the bank.   

Lisa and Richard Oliver

The couple returned to the East Coast — she grew up in Kingston, New York, and Richard in Sharon, Massachusetts — after spending 16 years in the Midwest, where she held several senior leadership positions at KeyBank in Cleveland, Ohio, that included serving as its Executive Vice President and Head of Business Banking. 

During her tenure at Cape & Coast Bank, she helped expand its lending footprint in commercial construction and specialty real estate and sponsored finance across New England, helping double the bank’s assets to $1.6 billion. 

She was instrumental in creating Cape & Coast Bank Charitable Foundation Trust in 2018, a philanthropic arm that has allowed the institution to invest in important community initiatives, including the arts, housing, social justice, and youth programs. She currently serves as the foundation’s chair. 

She steered the bank through the global Covid-19 pandemic; oversaw the renovation of the bank’s headquarters in Hyannis into a more modern, dynamic, tech-enhanced facility; managed the rebranding of the bank which was unveiled last year; and has been recognized for her leadership, receiving the 2024 Champion for Women Award from the Massachusetts Bankers Association, as well as having been named to American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking in 2023, 2024, and 2025. 

While the bank has supported the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod through grants and sponsorships as well as partnering with the nonprofit on scholarships for high school students pursuing arts-related degrees, Lisa’s connection to the arts goes much deeper. 

From 2012 to 2016, she was a board member for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, during which time she attended three induction ceremonies that featured Green Day, Ringo Starr, and Bill Withers, among others. 

While in Ohio, Lisa participated in Leadership Cleveland, an initiative to empower senior-level professionals with the knowledge, skills, and relationships to advance and deepen their community impact. As part of the program, her cohort visited Pittsburgh, where they learned about the power the arts have in revitalizing the downtown areas of industrial cities. 

Those lessons stayed with her when she moved to the Cape. “I understand the relevance of the arts to the Cape community and what the arts spur in terms of business and the economic viability they bring to our region,” she said. 

 Lisa met Richard in 1987, a year after receiving her bachelor's degree in international relations/French from Colgate University. The pair, who have two children, will celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary in October. 

 Lisa is a Board Member and Past Chair of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce; Clerk of the Board and Founding Co-Chair of The Fund for Women & Girls for the Cape Cod Foundation; and is a Founding Member of the Women’s CEO Committee for the American Bankers Association.

 “I always said, if I didn’t have to work, I would volunteer full-time. Now I have the opportunity to do it,” Lisa said of her passion for giving back. “My parents were great role models of mine when it came to community service. I grew up in a household where it was something that was done. I find by engaging in something that you enjoy, want to see improved outcomes for, and want to help grow, it is very fulfilling.” 

 Tickets for the Arts Gala, which support the Arts Foundation’s work to strengthen the Cape’s creative sector, are now available for purchase by clicking this link.