Lauren Johnson
Director of Partnerships

Lauren Johnson is the Director of Partnerships for Thrive Foundation For Youth. Lauren brings a myriad of experiences from the non-profit and education sectors. She previously worked for the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Oakland, California, where she trained and supervised volunteers who advocated for the best interest of abused and neglected children. She moved to Concepcion, Chile, to learn to speak Spanish, travel and teach English to adults and children at a private immersion school. Most recently, Lauren developed and managed an innovative community school program at a diverse, low-income elementary school in Gresham, Oregon.

Lauren received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. During this time, she studied abroad in Siena, Italy, where she learned to speak Italian and enjoy the food, culture and art of Tuscany.

As a native Portlander, Lauren enjoys an active lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest. She loves to hike, cross country ski, and bike with her husband, Noel. In addition, she is a competitive runner, racing distances ranging from 5 kilometers to the half marathon, for an elite development team in Oregon. Lauren also loves to travel, go camping, read, speak Spanish, and cook.

Thrive Foundation Staff

Carol Welsh Gray
Lauren Johnson
Lisa McNamara
Koreen Piazza
Julie Warren

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