Backed by more than 20 years of experience in government, higher education, public safety and, most recently, running the highly regarded national urban economic policy leadership group, CEOs for Cities, Lauren joined SM& in 2002 to become our public affairs and nonprofit expert.

Lauren established CEOs for Cities as an important nonpartisan, urban economic policy research and advocacy organization whose membership includes the mayors, top corporate CEOs, university presidents, and nonprofit leaders of major U.S. cities. From her experience running CEOs, Lauren brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts at the cutting edge of public policy.

Previously, Lauren spent two years at Harvard University as staff director to the vice president for government community and public affairs, where she developed major community engagement initiatives in affordable housing and after-school programming to help reposition Harvard in the cities of Cambridge and Boston.

Prior to Harvard, Lauren had a distinguished career in public safety, working as a civilian in the Boston Police Department, where she served as the director of planning and research in the early and formative days of the implementation of community policing in Boston.

Lauren's long relationship with community and economic development organizations, her deep knowledge of Boston's neighborhoods, and her passion for her adopted home began at Boston's Neighborhood Development and Employment Agency shortly after she began her career working for Mayor Kevin White.

Lauren has a bachelor of arts degree from Colby College.