Claire Coleman Lauing

Co-VP, Linköping

Born in a U.S. Army hospital on California’s central coast, Claire Lauing was raised in Palo Alto from the age of three. Her parents were avid travelers and instilled in her a deep interest in the history and the cultures of the world, which she has continued to explore throughout her life.

Claire attended Palo Alto public schools and earned a BA in drama from Stanford University. She built a career as a writer/editor in book and magazine publishing (San Francisco magazine, Runner’s World, and Sunset Books, where she was a cookbook editor) and later worked for 16 years in Development Communications at Stanford. She has also been an active community volunteer, supporting her children’s schools and local organizations, and has served on the boards of Hillel at Stanford, the Friends of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, and the Music Boosters at Palo Alto High School. 

Claire and her husband Ed raised their own family in Palo Alto. They are the proud parents of three and grandparents of two. In 2024, when Ed was vice mayor of Palo Alto, Claire and Ed participated in Neighbors Abroad’s delegation to Oaxaca to mark the 60th anniversary of that sister city relationship. The experience in Oaxaca inspired Claire to become involved in supporting Neighbors Abroad.