FLIPPABLE: Lauren Friedman for OH-SD29
Lauren Friedman is a Stark County native, a Navy veteran, a mom of three boys, a wife, and a proven leader. She has a strong commitment to public service and is a tireless advocate for her community and its people.
Lauren’s passion for serving her country developed early, and when she was a student at Lake High School in Stark County, she knew that she would pursue military service after graduation. Lauren was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where she was proud to represent the state of Ohio. The Naval Academy is one of the world’s premier leadership institutions, as described in its mission: “To develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.”
Lauren graduated from the Naval Academy in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in English and a minor in Spanish. Her career trajectory was greatly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001; soon after, she and her classmates graduated and took on leadership roles in the Global War on Terror. During the five years of active duty service that followed, Lauren was trained as a Naval Intelligence Officer, and completed two war time deployments as part of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom- one onboard the aircraft carrier CV-67, USS John F Kennedy, and one working in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Lauren has lived in many places, but when she was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2007, she chose to return home to Stark County. Later that year, she married her husband, Tom, whom she has known since the two of them ran Cross-Country and Track together in high school. Together, they share a home in Jackson Township with their three children and several rescued pets. Stark County is very special to Lauren, and she would not want to raise her children anywhere else.
However, Lauren’s transition home from active duty, like that of many veterans, was not easy. Like so many Americans during the 2008 recession and the years that followed, she struggled to find a job. There were times that her family did not have health insurance, despite her husband working multiple jobs. She lost the home she had owned in San Diego to foreclosure following the crash of the housing market and an inability to sell it or make the mortgage payments, and she eventually filed for bankruptcy. Like many other families in Stark County, Lauren and her husband have worked hard to fight their way out of that very difficult situation over the last ten years, often working multiple jobs each while raising their young family.
Regardless of where life has led, and even in the face of this personal adversity, service has remained a top priority for Lauren. She has not forgotten her fellow veterans who left the military after risking their lives in combat only to return home unsure of how to deal with their injuries or how to provide for their families. In fact, it is their stories that inspired her to pursue work in social service, so that she could help make things better for the people around her. Lauren, herself, is a Wounded Warrior Project Alumnus and a life member of the Disabled American Veterans. She has never forgotten that she is one of the lucky ones who made it home from the war.
During the transition to civilian life, Lauren volunteered at the Packard Institute in Akron, where she helped young adults struggling with addiction. She eventually began working at the Social Security office in Canton, before pursuing graduate school at Kent State University. She then earned her Master’s of Education Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, and began working to help people with disabilities to live more independently. For the past six years, Lauren has been employed by the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities, where she has worked to help some of the most marginalized people in Stark County to receive the services they need and to live the lives they want.
Ever a passionate advocate for social justice, the election results of 2016 motivated Lauren to help organize the group Action Together Stark, in an effort to help people in Stark County who care about their community to have a bigger voice and a greater impact. Lauren has remained active and engaged in speaking up and communicating with her elected representatives. The current political climate propelled Lauren to move forward in utilizing her Naval Academy leadership training and professional experience to run for political office. Lauren is running for the Ohio Senate District 29 seat so that she will be able to take a more active and impactful role in creating positive change for Stark County, for Ohio, and for this country that she loves.
http://laurenforohio.com
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