No matter which organization or group she’s been associated with, Bristol’s Lisa de Medeiros has always put her best foot forward in her quest to making things better for those who come under her direction.

Recently, the Gibson Road resident and mother of three was elected to the board of directors of PALCUS, the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States, community of Massachusetts.

“This is such a thrill for me,” said the 54-year-old daughter of Angela de Medeiros and the late Dr. Victor P. de Medeiros. “This is the second national board I’ve been on.”

Ms. Morris, a graduate of St. Philomena School and Lincoln School, is a 1985 graduate of Boston College (bachelor of arts in Romance languages, and 1995 graduate of Lesley College, where she received her master of science, training and development degree. She is the director of cross cultural initiatives for the MassAHEC Network at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

One of her key tasks is the coordination of the delivery of a Medical Interpreter Training Program in collaboration with the executive office of health and human services. She began her training career in 1991 at Bristol Community College as a program coordinator and instructor. Since that time, she has become an adjunct faculty member at Cape Cod Community College and Cambridge College.

Lisa serves as treasurer to the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare and is an active member of the International Medical Interpreters Association. She completed her fellowship in Cultural Competence Leadership with the Health Research and Educational Trust in 2007, and has presented on the topic of medical interpreting and healthcare access on various occasions in the United States and in Canada.

“I love traveling back and forth to work each day,” she admitted. “It’s been a wonderful and very rewarding experience.”

Previously, Lisa worked in a variety of interpreting roles at Cambridge Community College, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Charlton Memorial Hospital, and the State of Rhode Island, among others.

She has won countless awards throughout her career and continues to work diligently to help make life a little better and rewarding for others.

With more than 28 years of experience in interpretation and working with the immigrant populations of southeastern New England, Ms. Morris brings a new perspective to PALCUS’ policy initiatives.

Lisa agrees that PALCUS is committed to improving cultural affairs.

“The board has made a significant national presence,” she said. “It’s a tremendous group of highly-skilled people. I’ve already been busy, and there’s a lot of traveling involved. But I love the challenge.”

Aside from her parents, who did much to mold her into a compassionate, tireless worker, Lisa looks back proudly on the accomplishments of her three children, Aria Read, 27, who lives in Norfolk, Mass.; Nathan Morris, 26, who plays professional football in Germany and plans to try out for a team in the Canadian Football League; and 22-year-old, Joshua Morris, who starred at La Salle Academy in football and later played at Brown University. He is a private wealth analyst for J. P. Morgan.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my children,” Lisa said. “They have all done exceedingly well.”

In retrospect, Lisa de Medeiros Morris has also done pretty well herself. And she continues to offer her expertise in the Portuguese-American community.

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“I want to help this community and make a difference,” she said. The bottom line is, she already has.