2023 OrAVSCO Conference Agenda
Keynote Speakers:
Lauren Kay Johnson – Seattle, WA
Lauren Kay Johnson grew up in a military family in the Seattle area. She went on to serve as an Air Force public affairs officer and award-winning Department of Defense journalist, deploying to the Republic of Mali and Afghanistan. After receiving an honorable discharge, Lauren earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Emerson College in Boston.
In March 2023, Lauren published her debut book, The Fine Art of Camouflage (MilSpeak Books), which chronicles her coming-of-age against the backdrop of war—beginning with her mother’s Army career and deployment in support of Operation Desert Storm when Lauren was seven years old, and later with her own service in Afghanistan.
Upon returning, a former Marine, deployed with the Oregon Army National Guard in OIF II, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Philosophy at Portland State University. He has since specialized in helping veterans in crisis, working as a Resilience Program Coordinator for the Oregon Army National Guard. Black is a coordinator for the Star Behavioral Health Program at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP). The CDP trains military and civilian behavioral health professionals to provide high-quality, culturally-sensitive, evidence-based behavioral health services to military personnel, Veterans, and their families.