Lauren DeesErickson, Liberia
“Life hasn’t changed that much between Liberia and Vermont. Instead of going hiking every weekend in Vermont, my family and I have replaced it with going to the beach, learning to surf, and boogie board. Both personally and professionally, I have developed the ability to just embrace the difficulty of nothing ever being easy or going as planned.”
Human Interest and Families: This series focuses on our employees who live and work overseas, and how Tetra Tech supports them and their families with their transition.
Lauren in the Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP) for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Land Governance Support Activity (LGSA), which supports the establishment of more effective land governance systems and comprehensive reforms to help ensure equitable access to land and security of tenure for all.
“Working for Tetra Tech, I have able to develop a variety of program management and overall management skills, and I have had access to an incredible amount of opportunities on a variety of projects. Unlike other places I have worked, I have felt support from my sector director and other members of senior management. Tetra Tech is full of wonderful people as well, it makes coming to work a joy,” says Lauren.
She joined Tetra Tech in 2015 as an Associate, where she provided project support to field offices in Colombia, Afghanistan, Mali, and to the Making Cities Work IDIQ. As a DCoP, Lauren works under the overall direction of the Chief of Party and in coordination and collaboration with project technical staff. As a DCoP she has the primary responsibility of ensuring the timely provision and delivery of all required project financial, administrative, compliance, grants, procurement and subcontracts support to the execution of the LGSA project.
“Living and working abroad with my family has really been a dream come true,” says Lauren.
Lauren received a vast amount of support from her team when she relocated 4000 miles away from Vermont to a different continent; they each shared their experiences and in-country recommendations. Her sector Director, Michael Barluk offered her invaluable guidance and encouraged her every step of the way. Vaneska Litz and her family gave Lauren first-hand information about living and working in Liberia with young children. Zyck Baggett wrote a four-page manifesto of everything that Lauren needed to know about the country.
When asked for advice about raising children overseas, Lauren shares that kids are resilient, they make friends faster than adults. They learn languages more efficiently and find joy in the most unexpected places. It is essential to give them space and time to transition and then watch them flourish.
For Lauren, a resilient and land-secure Liberia would be one where all those who own land have equal access and protection under Liberia’s laws. Through her work at Tetra Tech, Lauren is playing a part in achieving societal well-being and economic security for all landowners.
