Remembering Lisa Ann Zolna

The team at Philadelphia VIP is grieving the passing of our longtime volunteer Lisa Ann Zolna on September 16, 2025.

We met Lisa about twelve years ago when she began volunteering in her role as Tax & Fiduciary Administrator at her law firm, White & Williams LLP. Ever since then, Lisa was a steadfast volunteer for VIP’s high-need, high-impact tangled title cases.

Lisa had a hand in nearly all of the pro bono tangled title matters her firm handled and was at the heart of a group of dedicated volunteers who met monthly to further their work for VIP clients.

“Lisa perfectly represented all that is good in the legal profession. She spent an immeasurable number of hours focusing on pro bono – almost like she single-handedly tried to end the tangled title crisis in Philadelphia. More than her time or excellent work product, it was her heart that Lisa gave to everyone she helped.”

—Mike Jones, VIP Supervising Attorney

We recognized Lisa as our Volunteer of the Month in April 2019. You can read her profile here.

More recently, we presented Lisa with the MVP of VIP Award at our 2025 Awards Night. This distinction belongs to the VIP volunteer who carried the heaviest pro bono caseload in a single year. Lisa’s contributions to her city through pro bono work—not only last year, but throughout her career—will be felt by Philadelphia families for generations to come as they enjoy the benefits of legal homeownership thanks to Lisa’s efforts.

“Lisa was an expert in tax and estate administration and taught all of us as she went. Just as importantly, she was also compassionate and caring with her clients and time. VIP and its clients were lucky to have her on our side. We will severely miss her as a colleague and friend.”

—Lindsay Schoonmaker, former VIP Supervising Attorney

In Lisa’s Volunteer of the Month profile in 2019, she exhorted her fellow legal professionals:

“Just take one case. It may not seem like much, but you’ve just made a difference for an entire family. It makes you want to keep coming back.” Lisa took many more than just one case, and she indeed kept coming back to volunteer with VIP, even during difficult bouts with illness. We are deeply grateful for the years she dedicated to our mission.