CONGRATulations TO the 2023 Medal Recipients

PUBLIC & COMMUNITY SERVICE MEDAL

LAUREN CASTEEL | President and CEO, The Women’s Foundation

Honoring a government or community leader who serves the public through innovation, operational excellence and progressive vision.

A commitment to social justice of all forms has been Lauren Young Casteel’s life-long driving force. Ms. Casteel currently serves as president and CEO of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO), the only statewide community foundation focused on gender, racial, and economic equity. During her tenure she has grown The Foundation’s assets from $22 to $34 million while diversifying WFCO’s giving communities and investments.

She is also the first person in Colorado to lead three foundations collectively with more than 30 years of philanthropic leadership. Throughout her career, Ms. Casteel has earned numerous accolades. Most recently, she received the 2023 Athena Leadership Award from the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce; the Anti Defamation League Mountain States Region's 2018 Civil Rights Award; the 2016 Monte Pascoe Civic Leadership Award, presented annually by Denver’s Mayor to a member of the community; and one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in 2015 by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2021, Ms. Casteel received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Colorado.