MVPC would like to give a big welcome to our newest hire, Lauren Keisling. Lauren joins the MVPC team as our Community Planner and the third member of our Community and Economic Development program. As the Community Planner, Lauren provides support for a wide array of department and agency projects, with emphasis on regional land use and housing production plans for member communities. Lauren brings extensive experience in community engagement and facilitation in the public health field to the role, specifically in overdose prevention, and comes to MVPC from Boston Medical Center where she served the Lowell community through the NIH MA HEALing Communities Study.
Lauren originally came to the area to attend UMASS Lowell, where she received her undergraduate degree, and from there developed a deep appreciation and love for the region. All of Lauren’s professional work before MVPC had been conducted in the City of Lowell, and she is excited to learn, explore, and grow professionally within the greater Merrimack Valley area. Lauren has a particular interest in finding the intersection between planning and public health which makes her a well-rounded addition to the Economic Development team. She is committed to amplifying and uplifting community voices to strive towards meaningful equity in the revitalization and future of local communities.
A current Lowell resident, Lauren spends her free time being a dog mom, tending to her plants, exploring urban and natural landscapes, and drinking all the coffee she can find. She currently attends Boston University in pursuit of a master’s degree in Urban Affairs through the City Planning & Urban Affairs Graduate program.
Welcome, Lauren! We are excited to continue to build out capacity for our organization to meet the evolving needs of our communities and have no doubt that Lauren’s perspectives and skillset will add valuable insights to our work.
Interested in the work that Lauren will be involved in or any of our other economic development initiatives? Check out our program page.