Lori Berisford

Lori Berisford is a dedicated community leader with a long history of service to nonprofit organizations throughout Ridgefield and beyond. After a twenty-year career in Human Resources with the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group, Lori retired in 1996 and shifted her focus fully to philanthropy and civic engagement.

Her nonprofit leadership journey began at Ridgefield Academy, where she served as President of the Parents Association and later as a member of the Board of Trustees. Since then, Lori has supported numerous organizations, including A.C.T. of CT, Kids in Crisis, RVNAhealth, and the Ridgefield Playhouse, helping to strengthen programs and build organizational capacity. She currently serves as President of Founder’s Hall and is a board member of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra.

Lori has been deeply involved with SPHERE since 2009, joining the board in 2011 and becoming Board Chair in 2014. Shortly thereafter, she assumed the role of President, where she oversees daily programming, organizational budgeting, and the management of staff and volunteers.

Her contributions have been widely recognized, including receiving the Spirit of Dr. King Community Service Award in 2018, being named one of “Ridgefield’s Top 25,” and sharing Ridgefield’s Citizen of the Year Award in 2021. Lori and her husband, John, have also served as Fairfield University Parent Leadership Co-Chairs and were honored with the Parent Leadership Award in 2022. They are proud parents of two children, Lane and Liza, both graduates of Fairfield University.