Lauren Simpson’s first visit to Arvada was life-changing in more ways than she even realized at the moment. “My husband is a Colorado native, and we moved back here so that we could put down roots and raise a family. We found Arvada and absolutely fell in love with it,” she shares. “We quite literally bought a house here the exact same day we saw it for the first time. The real estate agent brought us out for lunch, showed us a house, and we were under contract before midnight. It was love at first sight.”
Fast forward and Lauren’s community involvement combined with her background in international relations, communications, and public relations led her to join the City Council in 2019. A few years later, Lauren was elected Mayor of Arvada, a role which allows her to pour into the community she has made her home.
“I love the ability to create what I call active good,” she explains. “If there is something that should be done or needs to be done for the benefit of the community, it can be really hard to get traction on creating something. To know where to start, and to know who to talk to---that is something that I am uniquely positioned to be able to do.”
One example is Chow for Champions, which provides catered meals every Thanksgiving and Christmas to first responders and other essential personnel, like water services workers, who work on those holidays. Lauren partnered with the program’s creator, local resident Kimber Just, to get the initiative off the ground during the pandemic. Now five years in, "Chow" has become an annual Arvada tradition with organizations such as local nonprofit Hope, Connection and Community and the Hilton Garden Inn helping to organize and support meal delivery across the city on the holidays.
As Mayor, Lauren also leads the City Council as they oversee large projects that will bring benefits to Arvada for generations to come. A few of the major projects currently underway include significant work on the city's sewer systems, exploring options for construction of a new water treatment facility, and continuation of the voter-approved upgrades to 72nd Avenue, which notably includes plans for a new underpass beneath the railroad tracks and safety improvements such as bike and walking paths to the corridor.
“It's a really busy time in the city, with many projects in progress. Not all of it is visible, and some of it may be visible... but not exactly enjoyable,” says Lauren. “When it comes to some of these big infrastructure improvement projects especially, I want residents to be mentally prepared that though it may be painful while we're doing it, it's really important that we do do it. And that once it's done, it's going to be incredible.”
Lauren is also excited about the opening of a new quantum research facility and the recent launch of a two-year pilot bridge housing program to help address the homeless population in Arvada. The program provides bridge housing with supportive services for people who are committed to changing their situation and exiting homelessness. This program will work in conjunction with Marshall Street Landing, a new permanent supportive housing being built by the nonprofit Family Tree.
With all of these initiatives focused on improving Arvada, Lauren stresses that it is all about taking care of this area that she and so many cherish. “Arvada is one of the very best places to be,” she shares. “Those of us on the City Council love this community; it's why we do what we do. But, it doesn't begin or end with us. Arvada is such a special place because of its long history of community involvement and service, which keeps going strong today. When everyday people get involved and contribute in whatever way makes sense for them, we are all better off for it."
Mayor Lauren Simpson invites Arvada residents to become more involved in the community by attending community events, volunteering, and joining the City Council for meetings, which are now on Tuesday evenings at 6:00pm. For more information on the exciting initiatives taking place in Arvada, visit arvadaco.gov and follow @LaurenForArvada on Facebook and Instagram.
Arvada is such a special place because of its long history of community involvement and service, which keeps going strong today.