A seasoned leader in the field of race equity and systems change, Lauren’s vision for healing and racially equitable systems transformation is influencing the field of philanthropy and government. Lauren is senior program officer for The California Endowment, a private statewide health foundation where she oversees the grantmaking strategy in the Salinas Valley and Monterey County as part of the foundation’s statewide 10-year initiative known as Building Healthy Communities. To address the structural root causes of health and other life inequities at the grassroots and systems level, Lauren brings a healing informed, racial equity lens framework to support the leadership of those most impacted by structural racism.   Lauren brings over 15 years as a primary care physician assistant, practicing family medicine, homeless and farmworker health as well as holding deep expertise in academic health sciences and health workforce development.

Prior to The California Endowment, Lauren was professor, director and chair of the Joint Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Master of Public Health Program within the College of Health Sciences at Touro University-California. There she oversaw the development of a dual degree graduate program in medicine and public health to train health care providers, focusing on increasing health professionals of color who are from California. The program is a national model in PA education and continues to graduate a high number of students of color who work in California’s health professional shortage areas.  Lauren served as senior analyst for the University of California, Office of the President on policy efforts to increase a more diverse health workforce and on binational efforts between California and Mexico to improve immigrant health.  Prior to her work with University of California, Lauren was assistant director for the Women’s Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Lauren is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, Stanford University and Pace University.  She grew up in rural Monterey County, California. She is the proud daughter of Braulio Natareno Padilla and Ilsia Sánchez Vela, Guatemalan immigrants who came to the United States in 1969 and who worked in the first winery ranches of Monterey County, California.  Lauren and her husband Jeremy are proud parents of Stella Magdalena.