The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, Inc. 

Newly recruited to lead our fundraising efforts to support the mission of advancing oral health equity in Connecticut. I take a relational approach to development, building genuine connections with donors, partners, and community members.

Development Manager

Journaling for Growth

Chief Journaling Officer

CT Library Consortium

Community builder for librarians. First to fill the role of Events & Special Projects Manager for statewide membership collaborative serving ~1,000 Connecticut libraries. 

Known for my personal brand of magic - creating spaces where members felt safe to learn and grow, turning nebulous ideas into concrete programs and services, and planning and executing events so fun they didn't feel like work - I helped members of our community feel seen, heard, and valued, and provided opportunities for them to build skills to better serve their communities. 

Known for being an innovative thinker who imagines creative solutions to problems, often anticipating needs before they arose, I instigated moving our Roundtable program virtual in early 2020, teaching members to use Zoom and modeled how to run an effective meeting. (Librarians went on to use what they learned here to put on programs for their own communities.)

I partnered with the Connecticut Storytelling Center to launch a storytelling training workshop series for librarians. I conceptualized and executed three different vendor expo models, all of which were wildly successful. And I established a new Program Directory to connect libraries with performers and workshop providers. 

I led the national Take Your Child to the Library Day initiative, serving as project manager, growing the program in visibility through projects such as the creation of both community-centric and librarian-centric websites, speaking at the Public Library Association Conference in April 2024, and publishing an article in Public Libraries Magazine in Summer 2024. I partnered with EveryLibrary to create Advocacy Training webinar series to build capacity among children's librarians, and established State Ambassador program to build support and visibility nationwide. I partnered with Demco to create a line of promotional products for TYCLD 2025.

Events and Special Projects Manager

Northwest Village School

I was selected as the first certified library media specialist at this therapeutic day school for special education students ages 4-21.  

Tasked with creating our library media program, I transformed a humble bookroom into a vibrant library ecosystem welcoming and accessible to students of all ages and our teachers and support staff. 

I implemented a new library automation software system, replacing the traditional card catalog, revamped our entire collection of materials, assessing gaps for each section and curating age-appropriate resources, and established new collections of both print and digital resources. 

As the designer of library, information and research, and technology skills curricula that I delivered to students, I was part of our teaching team, delivering instruction to students, facilitating professional development for teachers and support staff, and collaborated with teachers on technology integration and co-teaching classes. 

I created safe and welcoming spaces for all of our students, differentiating instruction, employing de-escalation strategies as needed, and building strong relationships with our learners and instructors. 

I had the joy of surprising and delighting students and staff by instituting school literacy events including annual Read Across America celebrations, coordinated external speakers, and introduced graphic novel collection (our most popular and widely circulated school collection).

Library Media Specialist

Avon Free Public Library

As part of our children's services team, I had the amazing privilege of supporting children and families who came to the library.

While on desk, I assisted children and families with navigation of library materials, equipment and resources; provided readers’ advisory services, connecting readers with engaging materials.

I executed original programming for children including reader’s theater workshops, family thank you letter writing, and thematic creative programs connected to the Amazing Castle™ installation. 

I partnered with Teen Librarian on Book Buddies program pairing elementary school students with middle and high school students to foster reading skills.

And I brought my skills from my experience at Northwest Village School to tactfully manage challenging patrons (i.e. high energy and or poor in-library behavior) resulting in reduction of risk behaviors in the library.

Children's Library Specialist

Self-Employed

Family Sabbatical

Ketchum

At Ketchum (formerly Capital Strategies), I worked with associations such as the North Carolina Economic Developers' Association and NC Go! on events (meetings, conferences, legislative days), editing newsletters, and providing member support. I helped develop communications plans for organizations such as Junior League of Raleigh.

Project Coordinator

Journaling is one of the simplest, most beneficial habits you can use to create the life you want to live. 

And yet something is keeping you from it. 

Whether you’re completely new to journaling and don’t know where to start, you’ve journaled some but not found what works for you yet, or you’re a seasoned journaler looking for new ways to infuse your journaling with energy to get the results you want, I can help. 

✍️Why work with me?
If you were going to do it on your own, you would have by now. The information is out there. But you haven’t figured out how to make it work for you yet. And that’s okay. I love getting to help folks just like you create journaling practices that help you reach your goals. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. We start with you, what you want to achieve, and find simple, sustainable ways to make it happen. 

✍️How to work together
If you need:
🌱A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT, check out my curated journal prompt collections through my Substack newsletter. At just $8/month, you’ll receive a daily journal prompt designed to help you get to know and love yourself a little bit better AND solve the problem of not knowing what to write about. (journalingforgrowth.substack.com)

🍀MORE SUPPORT, we'll work together to create your bespoke journaling practice that aligns with your personal growth journey. It’s all about you and what you need to grow. And it starts with a conversation. (tidycal.com/amandastern/strategy-call)

✨ Beyond Journaling—Event Planning & Community Building
Along with my passion for journaling, I bring years of experience as a community builder, event planner, and facilitator. I thrive on creating spaces where people can show up as their true, authentic selves and have real conversations that spark connection, growth, and impact. Whether it’s a small gathering or a large-scale event, I specialize in curating experiences that foster meaningful connections and create positive change. If your organization or mission-driven nonprofit needs someone to plan and facilitate events or build a thriving community, let's talk about how we can make it happen.

✍️ About Me
I’ve been journaling since I was an angsty teenager, and it's my go-to tool for learning and growth. I've used it to uncover what I truly want, make plans to go after it, hold myself accountable, and celebrate success, all while creating a life I don’t want a vacation from. When I’m not journaling, you can find me with my nose in a book, puttering in my garden, laughing with my family, and trying to decide what to make for dinner again tonight.

Amanda Stern ✍️

Lauren Lefkowitz ☕️

Lauren Lefkowitz Coaching

Executive Coach who works with clients to break the work, sleep, repeat cycle and escape the trap of being ‘fine’. 

Partner with individuals and small-medium businesses to support professionals who want to find 
joy, excitement, challenge, and balance in their careers...and still have a personal life to love. 

Making it comfortable to get uncomfortable, create powerful goals, and create real, sustainable career (and life!) transformation.

CEO - Executive Coach

Fractional strategic human resources and operations services for small to medium US-based businesses. Services include strategic planning and implementation planning for organizational structure including structure strategy and implementation, compassionate job eliminations, recruiting, policies, employee relations and business management.

Fractional Strategic Human Resources / Fractional CHRO

Pulmonary Hypertension Association

When I joined PHA in 2015, the CEO told me he wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, but that he knew PHA needed me. As the first Vice President, Human Resources & Operations, I was given the latitude to build the organization's first true HR department during an initial rapid growth phase, through the retirement of the CEO, participating in onboarding a new CEO, managing transitions as we restructured and worked closely with the leadership team to build an HR structure, develop the employee culture and create team-driven strategies. 

This freedom to thrive allowed me to: 
* create new policies, communications and workflow processes 
* offer support and flexibility during COVID-19
* improve our hiring and promotion philosophy and processes
* implement a more competitive compensation and benefits package
* effectively work with staff to manage change
* oversee PHA's office move and from-the-studs construction
* fill in as interim just-about-everything at different times (as interim VP, Communications & Marketing and interim management of Finance, Development and Program employees and processes during related leadership transitions)

What a ride this position was!

Vice President, Human Resources & Operations

I began writing resumes for family and friends, just as a favor here and there. Eventually, I learned I had a special skill set that allowed me to help job seekers see themselves in new and different ways. 

Over the years, as my skills and experience developed, I realized I really had a knack for helping job seekers with resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, interview skill building and career pathing. 

During the past several years, I’ve developed these tactics and strategies and continue to discover new ways to help professionals take their next steps forward, whether it’s deciding what direction to go in career growth-wise or helping to build confidence or managerial skills or executive presence.

Human Resources Career Consultant

Calvert Research and Management

This position offered me all kinds of opportunity to build, build, build. I implemented the full cycle recruiting process, improving proactively recruiting a diverse candidate pool, for all positions, entry level through executive.

When I joined, I saw a missed opportunity to build relationships with the parent company’s Human Resources team, and subsequently was invited to work with parent company on a variety of projects, including implementation of a new applicant tracking and onboarding system and creating and delivering new training materials and workshops.

I also got to audit, audit, audit, and report, report, report. This included a full audit of more than 100 job descriptions, building an affirmative action plan, and reporting on time to hire and other recruiting measures. I also creating new training programs, both with partners and professional materials and from scratch. I loved being able to create in this area.

Because I made relationship management a priority, the parent company invited me to collaborate on training, developing, writing and/or editing and subsequently communicating consistent, fair policies and processes and I was asked to lead the RFI process for the company’s new ATS.

Human Resources Business Partner

Enterprise

Enterprise was my first toe-in-the-water in HR. I was tapped on the shoulder to join the HR team by the DC area General Manager and after a short time in the smallest HR role in the region, I was selected to establish the human resources department in newly created region of company. And after a couple of years in that office, I was asked to move to an underperforming office to organize and make the HR team thrive. 

As a generalist, I managed benefits administration, HRIS database updates and changes, new hire and termination processes and employee complaint resolution, performance management and progressive discipline processes, from coaching and development to termination, and conducted one-on-one training with all levels of management based on individual needs.

My first opportunities to train and develop HR people was here - I trained and managed human resources staff and other administrative employees and served as a peer advisor to human resources generalists in several other regional offices.

Human Resources Generalist Supervisor

Fine is a Trap | Execs partner with me to figure out why their careers aren’t fun anymore and fix it | Executive Coach | Keynote Speaker | Laughter Yoga | Fractional HR

You're not fine. I don't believe there is any such thing as being FINE.

Fine is giving up on the idea that your career-your life-can be AMAZING.

Fine is a trap.

Fine is not speaking up for what we need OR want.

Fine is not setting boundaries, not following our dreams, giving up on better. 

Fine is the trap of complacency, overworking, ruining our mental health, slowing progress.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀–𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻-𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲-𝗼𝗳–𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

You know who’s not fine with it?

>>> Me <<<

Lauren Lefkowitz.

I’m not fine with you being ‘fine’.

I know that you imagine, but can't ACTUALLY imagine:
* Having boundaries so you have some real personal time
* Stopping having things come up at work that make you cancel plans
* Saying no to…anything…so you’re not always feeling like you have to do more
* Getting the promotion, money, title, environment, boss, career you want without sacrificing your whole gall durned life

Instead, you feel:
* Freaking exhausted, which means you’re going home at the end of the day with no energy
* Burned out, leaving you unexcited about the actual work that you’re doing
* Like you’re failing – at work and home
* Oh, and if you’re in a toxic workplace? Double that feeling of not ‘fine’

My clients struggle with this and have convinced themselves they are ‘fine’.

Spoiler alert: They. Are. Not. Fine. With. That.

They want MORE. They DESERVE more. 

YOU deserve more.

How do I know?

I was ‘fine’ for far too long and it cost me:
* I had a limited social life
* The chronic illnesses I already had got worse-I was sicker all the time; I ‘saved’ my energy for work
* I had no hobbies. Zero. I worked, slept, repeated

Finally, I was done with 'fine'.

I decided my life would be full of CHOICE and FUN and SUCCESS and ACHIEVEMENT.

𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 ‘𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲’.

I coach high-achieving executives and rising executives to find their versions of AMAZING.

I partner with you to create the career and life you think is only possible for others.

We’ll craft a program for you, digging into what is no longer working for you, create a picture of what you want, and together, we’ll build you the life you actually want to have!

Book a call with me here: https://laurenlefkowitzcoach.as.me/letschat or DM me to learn more.

Not ready to talk?

Ring my LinkedIn bell and follow me on Instagram @lauren.coach.fineisatrap

CEO - Executive Leadership Coach

Executive Leadership Coach who works with clients to break the work, sleep, repeat cycle and escape the trap of being ‘fine’. 

Partner with individuals and small-medium businesses to support professionals who want to find 
joy, excitement, challenge, and balance in their careers...and still have a personal life to love. 

Making it comfortable to get uncomfortable, create powerful goals, and create real, sustainable career (and life!) transformation.

taplio

The Battle

Amanda Stern ✍️

Lauren Lefkowitz ☕️

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