Los Alamos Reporter

Bernadette Lauritzen Selected As New Executive Director Of LARSO

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Bernadette Lauritzen is the newly-selected executive director of Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization. Courtesy photo

LARSO News:

The Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization is pleased to announce that the Executive Director Search Committee has selected Bernadette Lauritzen from a pool of four good candidates.

“Bernadette has the needed qualifications for this position and they far exceeded those of the other candidates,” said Bob Swift, LARSO President. “From my involvement with Bernadette with her senior-youth interaction program, her enthusiasm for and her wonderful treatment of the youth of this community has been demonstrated to be the same for seniors. This coupled with her community experience and organizational capability, is a good match for the needs of the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization.”

Lauritzen arrived in Los Alamos in 1994 with husband Chad, who came to work for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, at LANSCE.

She started in the community as the News Director for KRSN AM 1490 and went on to grow the Maternal and Child Health Council into the Community Health Council after the Cerro Grande fire, which still operates today.

Lauritzen brought the work of the 40 Developmental Assets to the community from the Search Institute through a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. She coordinated a grant for former Los Alamos Public Schools Supt. Dr. Eugene Schmidt, garnering the 2012 recognition of, “One of the 100 Best Communities for Young People,”. She created the Community Asset Awards.

According to John Baillie, President of the Search Committee, Lauritzen was selected for many reasons but “the main reason was her obvious heart for the job and the fact she was full of enthusiasm.”

“I am so honored to step into the role of Executive Director for LARSO,” said Lauritzen. “I spent the first 20 years of my community life serving the youth of our community in a variety of ways.  I believe the next phase of my life was meant to care for her elders.”

Lauritzen will replace the current Executive Director, Linda Boncella, who will be moving with her husband Jim for his position at Washington State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Lauritzen begins work on May 1.