Grove Christian Outreach Center Welcomes Lauren Landis as Operations Director

Lauren Landis didn’t set out to build a career in nonprofit leadership—it just kept calling her back.

With a heart for service and a mind for strategy, Lauren has spent years building a career that bridges advocacy, direct service and meaningful community impact. Now, she’s bringing that experience to Grove Christian Outreach Center as our new Operations Director.

Born in Reston, Virginia, Lauren spent most of her childhood in Central Texas before heading back east to attend William & Mary in 2007. But even before college, she was drawn to roles that provided tangible impact.

Her first experience in service came as a teenager. While most highschoolers spent their days off hanging out at the mall, Lauren could be found working at a Christian summer camp that supported children with special needs and their families.

That early introduction to advocacy left a lasting mark. After college, she returned to nonprofit work, interning at An Achievable Dream in Newport News before moving into roles with the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Richmond and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

Over the past six years, Lauren shifted focus to climate change solutions, working with grassroots organizations.

“I’m still very passionate about environmental advocacy,” she said. “But I always had the long-term goal to return to local direct service work that centers hunger relief.”

When she saw Grove’s opening for an Operations Director, it felt like a clear fit.

“The mission and the role really aligned with all of the priorities I was keeping an eye out for—commitment to serving vulnerable families by providing immediate resources.”

While she’s still in full learning mode having only joined the team a month ago, Lauren is thinking critically about how her new perspective might support Grove’s future growth alongside Executive Director Katie Patrick. Her vision is to help Grove continue to be what it’s always been: a neighbor.

“Our goal is really to be true neighbors to the group of community members we serve. We hope to have a very tangible, direct impact on their lives to ensure that their most basic needs are met.”

Off the clock, Lauren keeps things cozy. She and her husband are big fans of K-dramas, long walks and Baskin Robbins milkshakes—chocolate fudge, to be exact.

“We’re on a first-name basis with several of the servers,” she admitted with a laugh.

A quiet afternoon, a nap and a scoop of ice cream? That’s her recipe for recharging.

And if spellcheck ever stops working? Lauren’s not worried. A former competitive spelling bee kid, she’s got a knack for words and spelling them right on the first try – a fact her husband teases about with love and admiration.

We’re so excited to welcome Lauren to Grove and look forward to the leadership, insight and compassion she brings to the Williamsburg community.