ABOUT US

Who is the main Meister?

Lauren Meister, Principal of Meister & Associates, is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in project management, and an in-depth knowledge and understanding of community.

Business Owner

Lauren's extensive background in project management and operations for the marketing research industry led her to form Meister & Associates in 1991. Her primary goal was to establish a network of experts from all walks of the marketing research industry to work together as a team or "virtual company" for the benefit of a specific project. Most importantly, this team of experts would be customized to meet the particular needs of a project. Over the past 25 years, Lauren has enjoyed a diverse clientele representing a variety of industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, entertainment, financial, food services, health care, interactive media, pet-related products, non-profit and public sector.

Prior to starting her own business, Lauren worked in the entertainment division of Lieberman Research West as Manager of their Screening Department, where she directed research projects for the movie industry. Before that, she managed a wide variety of marketing research projects as Field Director for Diagnostic Research (now Added-Value), as well as created and implemented measures to enhance corporate efficiency and cost-effectiveness as their Operations Manager.

Community Involvement

Lauren's involvement with the community began when she became a neighborhood "block captain" and CERT-certified disaster volunteer in the City of West Hollywood. Over the years, she has served on various boards, commissions and advisory groups for the City of West Hollywood including: the Public Safety Commission, Permit Parking Advisory Group and Campaign Finance Reform Committee.

As Chair of the Public Safety Commission, Lauren was instrumental in initiating, developing and implementing West Hollywood's Public Safety education campaign to "Live, Work, Play And Be Safe." She also participated in the re-branding and revitalization of the city's Neighborhood Watch program ("Be A F.A.N."). She successfully managed community surveys including a Disaster Mitigation Study, which was conducted for both the City of West Hollywood and the City of Santa Monica to assist their respective Public Safety divisions in meeting compliance standards required by the Disaster Mitigation Act.

Lauren is currently serving as a Planning Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood. The Planning Commission, a permanent committee of seven citizens who have been appointed by the West Hollywood City Council, holds public hearings on a regular schedule to consider land use matters. These include such things as the local general plan, specific plans, rezonings, use permits, and subdivisions.

Community Organizer

Lauren enjoyed over seven years on the Board of Directors of a well-respected, 501(c)(3) neighborhood organization representing over 1,000 households. As President of that organization, her duties included working with residents, city staff, developers and local businesses on a regular basis, reviewing and responding to City staff reports and environmental studies, and making presentations to Commissions and City Council. She also organized and participated in community meetings and visioning workshops.

Through her various activities in the City of West Hollywood, Lauren is known in the community for collaborating with others, building support and reaching consensus while maintaining cooperative and efficient relations. In 2003 and 2009, Lauren ran for West Hollywood City Council and managed all areas of the campaign. With limited funds, she designed creative materials, built a database of supporters, managed the Political Data voter database and directed volunteers.

Tech-Savvy

Lauren is computer-friendly, especially if it's a Mac. She is proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage, FireFox, social media (FaceBook, Google Groups, Twitter), MYOB Accounting software and Adobe InDesign CS3. She is also all too familiar with Dreamweaver and Photoshop!

Oh, and a long time ago, Lauren received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and graduated with high honors (Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's List scholar).