Lauren joined the United Way team in December 2024 as the Executive Vice President of Community Impact. Previously she served as the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Jackson. Before that, Lauren worked in the nonprofit sector in Memphis, serving with Historic Clayborn Temple, BLDG (Building) Memphis, and City Leadership.
In addition to her career in public service, Lauren stays heavily involved with nonprofits in her community. She is the Past President for Habitat for Humanity Jackson, advisory board member for Jackson Downtown Development District, advisory board member for Jackson Hidden Tracks, and advisory council member of the Hope and Healing Foundation Community Fund.
Lauren is a graduate of the 2019 class of Leadership Jackson, the 2021 class of the Delta Regional Authority Executive Leadership Academy, with a Regional Innovator Certificate, and the 2023 Leadership Tennessee NEXT program. She also completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Leadership Program’s Effective Leadership Across Sectors course in 2024.
Lauren is a proud first generation college graduate. She received a Master in City and Regional Planning and a Master of Social Work from the University of Memphis, where she was also a Housing and Community Development Fellow for 3 years. She also holds a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Union University.
When not serving her community, you can find Lauren spending time exploring trails and rivers with her family, friends, and faithful dog, Jack, or cuddling with her cats while immersed in a good book.