March 13, 2024 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Lauren Johnson calls her return to the Midlands last year the “second Columbia chapter” in her life. The Lexington, South Carolina native knew it was the right time to return home when her alma mater offered her the Senior Director of Development position at the Arnold School.
“Although it’s been 15 years since I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, it’s uncanny the number of times I catch myself feeling like it was just yesterday that I was an undergraduate student here,” Johnson says. “While it’s comforting certain buildings and areas of campus look and feel the same, it’s also exciting to see all of the growth that has taken place and to play a role in helping to plan for our school’s future.”
During her 15 years away from the state capitol, Johnson completed a Master of Public Administration and Nonprofit Administration at the College of Charleston and began her career in fundraising and development at the American Red Cross that led her to Washington, D.C. She returned to South Carolina in 2015, where she spent eight years as the director of major gifts for Roper St. Francis Healthcare and earned her certification as a Certified Fund Raising Executive.
“Throughout my time working in health care settings, I got to know many of our clinical leaders dedicated to looking beyond only caring for a patient’s illness or disease and constantly challenging what more could be done to help our patients get well and stay well, with an improved quality of life,” she says. “So much of this work centered on addressing social determinants of health and wellness by investing in our community health workers and community health programming.”
Inspired by these impactful results, Johnson was excited to work for her alma mater – in the state’s only accredited school of public health and working toward goals that aligned so well with the work she admired in her past positions.
Located in the Dean’s Office, Johnson’s role involves working closely with donors, alumni, faculty, staff, students and community partners. Her team’s collective goal is to enrich the school’s mission through philanthropy.
“I enjoy working closely with our faculty in helping to provide strategic oversight of our school’s philanthropic priorities and fundraising efforts,” Johnson says.
“Having Lauren as our Director of Development has been a truly perfect fit for the school,” says Lee Pearson, Executive Director of Operations and Accreditation. “She brings a wealth of fundraising experience from the health care and non-profit arenas combined with a true passion for public health. She has quickly become an informed champion for our school and its mission, and she is building connections that will benefit our school for many years to come.”
It’s the ideal role for Johnson, who loves the day-to-day variety her position offers.
“I love that my job allows me the opportunity to connect with so many interesting people that represent a variety of life experiences, backgrounds, and unique motivations for wanting to give back and be engaged in furthering our school’s mission,” she says.
Outside of work, Johnson loves traveling, spending time outside with her dog, Huckleberry, and home design projects.
The Staff Spotlight Series is sponsored by the Arnold School's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
