Member Profile: Lauren Clark

Lauren Clark
NJ Transit
Principal Projects & Strategic Investment Program Coordinator.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurclar

Lauren Clark is a writer and transit professional who specializes in driving organizational transformation.

1. What is your favorite YPT-NYC event and why?  
Each event I attend successively becomes my favorite.  I loved going behind the scenes at Grand Central this fall.  Can’t wait to have a new favorite soon.
 
2. If you could snap your fingers and make one change to regional transportation, what would it be?
All transit should be free for all riders.  Transportation is a right, not a privilege.  I’ll live and die on that hill.

3. What sparked your passion to work in the transportation industry?  
I’ve never owned a car, so I depend on public transportation to get everywhere I go.  I understand how absolutely essential transit is, and I know how sacred and safe a space it can be when it’s done right.  I’m honored to have a hand in making sure as many people as possible have access to these resources.

 
4. What are you working on that you’re most excited by? 
It was a privilege to lead NJ TRANSIT’s ten-year strategic planning effort back in 2019 and 2020.  Since then, I’ve been working closely with the Human Resources team to drive progress toward their identified strategic initiatives, which includes implementation of a Human Capital Management system and major changes to most of our processes.  I’m a sucker for driving transformation efforts—the more impossible change feels, the bigger the knot or the puzzle, the more I want to tackle it.

 
5. What career advice would you give to other YPT’ers interested in your career path?
Find the system you’ll never get tired of riding and dedicate yourself to it.  Worked for me.
 
6. What famous celebrity do you think should be given the opportunity to voice a NYCT Subway Announcement?
The weird robotic voice who announces (and adorably mispronounces) the stops on NJ TRANSIT trains, of course.