Lauren Larson is Director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, responsible for developing the Governor’s annual budget request for Colorado, forecasting State revenue, and conducting research and evaluation of programs. Prior to this appointment in 2018, Larson was Director of State Operations in the Office of the Lt. Governor & Chief Operating Officer, where she improved the State’s service to its customers. She first joined the state in 2012, leading regulatory reform efforts while directing the Division of Professions & Occupations at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Prior to joining the State, Larson managed a $50 billion budget at the White House Office of Management & Budget where she was Chief of the Treasury Branch under Presidents Bush and Obama. She negotiated win-win budget solutions for more than a dozen federal agencies, even in a budget reduction environment. During the 2008 financial crisis, she ensured strong fiscal controls for the $700 billion financial rescue program known as TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program). As an economist at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lauren analyzed and priced the profit drivers in aerospace, software, and pharmaceutical companies, helping clients expand overseas and maintain profitable business and tax models. She also improved international tax administration, working with other countries while a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.

Early in her career, Larson managed projects at nonprofits in London and New York City. She holds degrees from Syracuse University (BA) and the University of Michigan (MPP).