Lora Horgen has recently joined the Institute of Child Development (ICD) team as the new Communications Director. In this role she will lead internal and external communication efforts to highlight the ICD community. Learn more about Lora, her background, and what excites her at ICD below. ICD is also welcoming a new Marketing Director Chris Morgan, read about Chris here.
What is your new role at ICD and what will your responsibilities be?
I am thrilled to be joining ICD as the incoming Communications Director. My role will be focused on telling the stories of all the people who make ICD the incredible place it is. I will be leading internal and external communication to ensure our community is engaged and we continue to reach new audiences. My primary focus areas will be on writing and communications, research dissemination, internal communication efforts, event planning, and leading a communications subcommittee of the ICD DEI Community.
Could you describe your previous professional experiences?
I describe my professional career and experiences as varied and eclectic and I attribute a lot of that to my educational experience here at the U of M, where I majored in journalism and American Indian studies. I worked as a newspaper reporter at the Star Tribune after graduating, and then went on to work in small business marketing and management, as well as in the non-profit sector. Most recently, I served in communications roles for the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and the American Indian Family Center, both located here in the Twin Cities.
Tell us how your personal and professional experiences led you to ICD?
When I became a parent to my now 8 and 6-year-old children, I became fascinated by how Indigenous traditional ways of knowing about parenting and children intersected with research and science about human development. I began serving on the board of the Montessori preschool where my children attended because I wanted to support quality early childhood education for my community. I see this opportunity with ICD as an alignment of my personal interests in culturally-relevant early childhood education with my skills as a communications professional.
What are you most looking forward to about working at ICD?
I am most looking forward to connecting with the ICD community and using communications to bring us together. Since Covid, it’s more important than ever that we foster a sense of community and belonging for everyone.
What is your favorite animal?
My favorite animal is an eagle because watching them soar is a truly transcendent experience.
What is something you are proud of?
During the pandemic, my mother-in-law who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, lived with us. It was incredibly challenging to be a caregiver, but I will forever be grateful that I was given the experience of having an intergenerational household and fostering a relationship with my children and their grandmother.
What motivates you at work?
I am motivated by working as a team to create the best possible outcomes. I love working collaboratively with others because I think more thoughts and ideas always result in a better final product.
What are three things you would take with you to a deserted island?
My family (does that count as three?), my podcast app, and a cacao tree (for an endless supply of chocolate)!
What is your favorite food?
My mother-in-law’s homemade Vietnamese egg rolls. Now that she has Alzheimer’s, I am so grateful she shared her recipe with me so I can teach my kids how to make them.
