WITH
Who are you?
Lisha Burnett
Manager, Sustainability &
Communications
Suncor Energy
My name is Lisha Burnett. I was raised in the south in Atlanta,
Georgia and first came to Colorado after college chasing my love
for adventure, the mountains and a desire to experience living
somewhere new. I’ve been so fortunate to have lived in so many
wonderful communities in the west in addition to Denver – places
like Park City, Utah; Boise, Idaho; and Silverthorne in Summit
County. I went to graduate school at the University of Colorado
and now am the proud parent of our first college graduate, who
also went to CU. Colorado is truly home for me, my husband and
our kids; we try to remember how blessed we are to live in such a
special place.
Describe your job and what makes your work exciting.
I’ve been in the field of communications and stakeholder relations for more than 20 years in several
high profile industries including health care, academia, travel and tourism, the Salt Lake Organizing
Committee (SLOC) for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and now energy. Prior to working in
communications and public affairs, I was a journalist and an editor for a Colorado-based publishing
company. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to land in the energy industry. I’ve been at
Suncor for nearly 12 years working in several roles in our sustainability and communications team in
the areas of corporate communications, community investment, and stakeholder and government
relations, supporting Suncor’s U.S. businesses. What’s always exciting for me about the industry
and my role is the fact that there is always something new to learn. What’s more, it’s the people
collectively who make up the industry here that make it such a special place to work. The energy
space is full of caring, intellectual and committed people who support each other, come together in
good times and in bad, help one another learn, and roll up their sleeves to tackle difficult problems.
I also enjoy my work at Suncor because I’m able to touch so many parts of our business in Colorado
and Wyoming. I’ve loved being able to meet and work with so many different people who I learn
from every day. It’s a great life!
Who do you admire within the industry and why?
Several of my leaders at Suncor, from many different disciplines, have taught me so much about
leadership. I respect and admire that they are so giving of their time to help me grow and become
better. In many cases, it’s simply being around the business leaders, watching how they lead, how
they view different challenges, the way they bring their team together, and how they perform their
work every day. I try to take away small nuggets of the “how” they lead that I want to apply to my
own work.
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© 2014 Colorado Oil & Gas Association. All rights reserved.
1800 Glenarm Place, Suite 1100, Denver, CO, 80202 • Phone: 303.861.0362 • Fax: 303.861.0373 • www.coga.org
What do you wish people better understood about your job or our industry?
I hope that people will continue to engage and want to learn the facts about our industry. There are many
myths out there about our industry, especially as we tackle tough and emotionally charged issues. We should
try to eliminate the emotion where possible in order to have meaningful conversations based on facts. I’m
always surprised in my work that many people don’t know that Suncor’s refinery in Commerce City is the only
one in Colorado. I enjoy those opportunities where I can explain all that has to happen to make the gasoline
that fuels our cars that allows people to take kids to school, to go back and forth to work, to take a road trip on
summer vacation or even to hop on a plane at DIA. Chances are, if you’ve driven your car or truck in Colorado,
driven on the roads in our state (made from asphalt made at the refinery, too), or taken a plane out of DIA,
you’re consuming what we proudly manufacture right here at Suncor.
Tell us about an emerging technology or trend that you are excited about.
I’m amazed at all of the work and effort that goes on for many years behind the scenes before we see
advancements in technology. There are great minds working all over the world on solutions to complex
problems in our industry. I’m actually pleased that academia, industry, government, and non-profits in some
cases can come together to look at various solutions to problems. I see examples of this kind of collaboration
happening in the industry and it leads to some great ideas.
What do you see as one of the most important issues the industry is facing today? How do you see
it evolving over the next five years?
Like other businesses and industries, the energy industry needs certainty as we move forward. Businesses that
operate in all sectors of our industry need to know what to expect in order to plan effectively. The industry
can and is willing to adjust and make changes that are necessary, but needs to ensure that there is adequate
time to understand what the change is, what the impacts could be, and to ensure that we’ve thought through
any unintended consequences. It takes time to make sure that all of the data is out on the table and that the
right stakeholders are involved.
What advice would you offer to someone just starting a career in the industry?
Don’t assume that if you’re not an engineer, you can’t work in the energy industry. This is a dynamic and
diverse industry and there are so many needs for all kinds of talent and backgrounds. I have a degree in
English and a Master’s degree in Literature and who would have thought I would end up in energy. But it’s
been the best decision I ever made to come and join Suncor. The opportunities are there for people who
enjoy being in a space that is fast-paced, complex and always changing. Just be ready for the various cycles
that come with it. There are lots of factors that impact the industry outside of our individual control and you
have to be patient and willing to go with those cycles.
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© 2014 Colorado Oil & Gas Association. All rights reserved.
1800 Glenarm Place, Suite 1100, Denver, CO, 80202 • Phone: 303.861.0362 • Fax: 303.861.0373 • www.coga.org
What was the last book, publication, study, or journal you read? Would you recommend it?
I have to say that the last book I read was with my son, Jake. He had summer reading and it was fun
to read some very interesting novels with him the past few months. We read a book called When
You Reach Me. The book was complex given the many flashbacks and movement of scenes and
characters in time. I was glad we read it together as it was a touching story about friendship and
family and set in New York City. My recommendation would be to take time to step out of your
normal reading habits and dive into something different. You never know – it might be fun. I know I
learned a lot from the reading I did with Jake this past summer. As a young reader, he’s still working
on comprehension and putting it all together through dialogue. And, it was a special time for me to
spend with him watching him learn and grow his love for reading.
When you aren’t at work what do you prioritize?
Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband, children and amazing friends that know how important
my work and career are to me. They’ve been so supportive of me during the times that work creeps
into family time. But when I’m not at work, my husband Keven and our three children, Bridget,
Peyton and Jake, are my priority. We love to enjoy all that Colorado offers from skiing in the winter to
hiking and biking in the summer. We love our community in Denver and the many benefits offered
where we live from outdoor concerts and theater to pools to kids’ activities. There’s so much to do in
Colorado, we feel like we need to experience every nook and cranny in our state. But we also love to
head out of state and travel to places where we can go diving and enjoy the beach and ocean. I enjoy
volunteering at my children’s schools and supporting them in all that they want to do as they grow
up. I’m also very grateful to work for Suncor, a company that cares about its employees and ensuring
we all prioritize work/life balance.
If you woke up and the world was perfect, what would it look like?
I’d be in Vail, on the mountain, skiing with my husband and kids. My husband said it best last year
when we were on the mountain on a perfect “spaceman blue” sky day… “God, I love this place.” And
it’s true. We do love our winters – and all seasons for that matter – in the mountains. That is pretty
much as close as it gets to perfect for us.
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© 2014 Colorado Oil & Gas Association. All rights reserved.
1800 Glenarm Place, Suite 1100, Denver, CO, 80202 • Phone: 303.861.0362 • Fax: 303.861.0373 • www.coga.org