Lauren Cuddihee

Lauren Cuddihee is the Manager of Corporate Relations at Dallas Theater Center. Lauren previously worked as the Director of Operations at Gateway of Grace from October 2018 to October 2021. In this role, they oversaw daily operations of platforms of free refugee services related to education, emergency assistance, pastoral care, job search support, and special events. Lauren directly managed four staff members, five seasonal contract employees, twenty-one weekly volunteers, one seasonal intern, and an average of fifty volunteers per major event.

Lauren planned and managed three annual major events designed to build a bridge between conservative Muslim refugee communities and Christian communities. Lauren identified opportunities for team growth and facilitated connections for ongoing professional development and training of staff and regular volunteers. Lauren implemented new nonprofit CRM software, Keela, leading to better management and maintenance of constituent data. Lauren developed and managed leadership development initiative for refugee women, providing practical resources and direction for students with leadership capabilities.

Lauren communicated the mission and ministry in a meaningful way with high-impact donors and foundations, contributing to an increase in annual donations. Lauren provided leadership for staff managing economic empowerment initiatives, resulting in refugee women becoming household breadwinners during Covid-19 quarantine and 3 new refugee-run businesses. Lauren facilitated partnerships resulting in free trauma-informed therapy for refugees, leading to the ability for families to heal from war-related trauma and become self-sufficient.

Lauren Cuddihee has a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Communication from Dallas Baptist University and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human Sciences from Texas Tech University. Lauren also graduated from Plano Senior High School.

Some of their coworkers include Mercedes Brown - Manager of Individual Giving & Events, Dionne Davis - Manager of Foundation & Government Relations, and Salomona Mendoza - Manager of Donor Stewardship. Their manager is Keyana Marshall, Interim Director of Development.