Lauren Hammond

  President

Lauren Hammond of, Lauren Hammond Consulting, is one of the state's most experienced public policy strategists, with extensive and distinguished experience in both elected and appointed office. 

She works with several local groups in the areas of gaming regulations, planning, civic engagement, political participation, local land use, and government relations. Her blend of deep policy analyses and grasp of practical implementation of strategies and policies make her a highly sought-after policy strategist. 

In fact, it was in recognition of her strengths in collaboration, consensus-building, problem-solving and ethical implementation of government policies that Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. appointed her to the California Gambling Control Commission; where she served for over six years. 

Her background in elected office has also given her a breadth of knowledge and strong relationships that empower both her influence on and value to, a wide variety of policy areas. 

Lauren won the election to the Sacramento City Council in 1997, making her the first African American woman in Sacramento history to be elected to the Council, serving through 2010.

As part of her Council responsibilities, Lauren served on the Board of Directors of several local Joint Powers Authorities including Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), Sacramento Regional Solid Waste Authority (SWA), and Sacramento Regional Transit (RT). 

She is a lifetime member of California Women Lead and the NAACP.

Sacramento Magazine named her one of Sacramento's 30 Most Powerful Women in 2003 and in 2004 she was inducted into the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. 

In 2007, she received the Alumni Association Distinguished Serve Award from California State University, Sacramento (SAcramento State).

Lauren joined the National Women's Political Caucus in 2009-2010 when the Sacramento Chapter was originally formed to further the cause of putting more women in public office at all levels. She renewed her membership in August 2019 in honor of the 99th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote. In 2020 the Board of NWPC named Lauren as President of the Sacramento Chapter to serve for two years. Her goals for the Chapter are to train, endorse, and assist local women candidates to run for office.