It is with great sadness that we share the news that Lauren Segal, former Greater Twin Cities United Way president & CEO and longtime United Way servant, passed away late last week at her home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with her husband by her side.
Lauren began her 40-year United Way career as an intern after meeting a United Way staff person on a plane who encouraged her to apply. She went on to serve at local United Ways in Worchester, Mass., Kalamazoo, Mich. and Somerset, N.J. before making her way to the Twin Cities. With each step, Lauren assumed greater responsibilities, and in 2001, she played an integral role in the merger that brought together the United Ways of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Lauren went on to become president and CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way in 2006. In 2010, Lauren left Greater Twin Cities United Way to assume the presidency of Scholarship America, a Minnesota-based national nonprofit.
I have fond memories of meeting Lauren when my family moved to the Twin Cities in 2005. Looking for ways to engage in our new community and with a history of United Way engagement when I lived in Kansas City, I reached out to Lauren to discuss opportunities with Greater Twin Cities United Way. Lauren was warm and welcoming, inviting me to join the Audit Committee of the Board, followed shortly by an invitation for Trudy and me to join the Tocqueville Cabinet. Her leadership and her commitment to our community were inspiring.
We are grateful for Lauren’s leadership and lifelong commitment to United Way, and we extend our deepest sympathy to her husband, Rich, and their family for their loss. Read more about Lauren’s life and legacy in her full obituary.
Lauren was a dear heart and mentor of mine while I served as CEO in Central Minnesota. She led one of the most significant mergers in recent years with United Way of St. Paul & United Way of Minneapolis to become United Way of the Greater Twin Cities. I observed her graceful steps and authentic leadership in that transition. She has left an indelible mark on our United Way history!