Meet LGMSD

​With Meet LGMSD, we take you behind the scenes to introduce you to the folks who make us who we are—the Board, the Committees, the volunteers, and the staff.  Each week, we plan to introduce you to one of the many individuals who contribute so much to La Grande Main Street, ultimately making La Grande a vibrant, stable, and beautiful place to gather, shop, eat, work, live, and play
 
This week, we continue our introductions with Monica McLaughlin, Executive Director of LGMSD.

​Born in Canada and raised in Georgia, Monica came to LGMSD from the Union County Chamber of Commerce, where she was the social media, tourism, and events coordinator.  Monica has an extensive background in hospitality, event planning, and sales, as well as team building and organization.  Through her involvement with World Lacrosse and as the head women’s lacrosse coach at Eastern Oregon University, Monica has demonstrated a talent for program development, negotiation, and problem solving.
 
Monica has a Master’s Degree in Applied Sport Psychology from Adams State University along with a Bachelor’s Degree in general studies with a concentration in Marketing and Management and a minor in psychology from Georgia Southern University.
 
Since joining LGMSD last November, Monica has gone about forging relationships and planning exciting events highlighting Downtown La Grande.  Her favorite part of working with LGMSD is getting to know the downtown business owners, as well as working to bring the community together through great events.
 
In their leisure time, Monica and her husband, Will, enjoy camping and hiking and are pet parents to their three cats and several chickens.  Monica is also an avid plant collector.  She loves cooking and restoring hopeless furniture into beautiful objects.