Philanthropy and business often go hand-in-hand. Case in point: Lauren Peterson, a Senior Vice President and Client Advisor in Whittier Trust’s Newport Beach office.
She has a wide range of experience and expertise in the trust and estate planning arena, having been a practicing attorney focusing on Estate, Tax and Business planning.
Along with her business acumen, Peterson understands the importance of giving back to the community, both local and international.
In June of 2005, Peterson launched a nonprofit organization headquartered in Newport Beach called African Child Foundation to support Fr. Henry Simaro in his efforts to transform the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in the slums outside Nairobi, Kenya.
The organization is committed to giving these children a future by providing clean water, nourishing food, clothing, medicine, safe shelter and a quality education.
The organization was supported by Our Lady Queen of Angels and many generous Newport Beach donors.
Peterson retired from the organization in 2012 to take care of her five children, including two she adopted from a Russian orphanage.
Peterson’s community service does not stop there. She is a member of the Samueli Academy Success Committee Scholarship Fund to help ignite the passion within all student to reach their potential, and she is on the Board of Orangewood Foundation providing resources and mentoring for OC foster, homeless and at risk youth.
She is also active in the Women of Chapman support group that has raised several million dollars to support Chapman University, including the school’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
She manages to balance her community and philanthropy activities with her duties at Whittier Trust, where she plays a key role in orchestrating a client’s team of advisors including attorney, accountant and investment manager, all working toward the same goal of perpetuating wealth and intergenerational transfers. She also handles philanthropic advising and consulting.
Her experience and education enable Lauren to assist affluent families with complex estate plans, business succession planning, and related matters.
For her business success and her philanthropic endeavors, Peterson was nominated for a 2018 OC Business Journal Women in Business Award. She sets an excellent example of how to combine a career with community service.
For more information, visit https://www.whittiertrust.com.
