Lauren is the Senior Director of Public Affairs & Corporate Counsel for the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). Based in Ottawa, Lauren is responsible for leading CMC’s strategy, development and implementation of public affairs and oversees policy files such as labour and sustainability. Lauren is a lawyer by training, having obtained a J.D. from the Schulich School of Law and practicing for a few years before returning to agriculture. In pursuit of her endless interest in the food system, Lauren has had similar government relations and regulatory roles across the food system including with the Canadian Organic Trade Association, the Canadian Seed Trade Association, and the Canadian Cattle Association. A believer in community building, she Chaired the board of the Do More Agriculture Foundation, a national charity that champions mental health in agriculture. These experiences culminate in an in-depth understanding of Canada’s agri-food system. In 2020, she bought a farm and is slowly exploring the business.