Lauren Thomas

Sustainability Coordinator

Lauren Thomas has been a visionary voice and engaging facilitator within the sustainability movement since 2001.

Ms. Thomas has spent the last decade working with advocacy, education, green business, and community building organizations. She has been a founder or co-founder of various efforts including Living Mandala—a national network of regenerative educators and designers, and EcoVision Sebastopol—a community planning initiative to redevelop a blighted brownfield into a mixed-use urban ecovillage.

Ms. Thomas has experience in multiple dynamic facilitation techniques that foster proactive collaboration amongst diverse stakeholders.  She trained with the Tomorrow Makers TM in Sonoma County, CA and worked with their founders in developing a Livability Mapping process to inventory communities’ resources and needs.

Ms. Thomas has developed and delivered innovative presentations on topics such as smart growth, local economic development, sustainable transportation, waste reduction, and permaculture—a design science that mimics nature’s inherent ability to regenerate. She is a certified permaculture designer and has been a pioneer in applying permaculture to economic development and land-use planning.

Ms. Thomas joined the Vita Nuova team and is currently focused on researching, documenting and innovating holistic solutions for sustainable community redevelopment efforts. Her depth of experience working in the grassroots will also be utilized in engaging diverse community stakeholders into redevelopment processes throughout the country.

Ms. Thomas has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Regional Planning from Sonoma State University where she was recognized as an award-winning scholar by the California Planning Association in 2006.