JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Not too long ago, you might have seen Senate Majority Caucus Communications Director, Lauren Hieger, on television. Hieger studied journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism with a minor in political science before finding her way into politics.
She was on camera as a traditional broadcast news anchor when she felt the itch to try something new. She lived in Joplin and her Saint Louis-based family was far away. She moved back to the city and took a job working in community relations for ITT Technical Institute.
“Last summer, I decided I really wanted to go back into politics, so I got a job with the Romney campaign in Missouri,” Hieger said of her decision to look for work as a paid employee of the campaign. “I was the new media director for the Missouri victory program, so I did a lot of the social media.”
Hieger always had a passion for politics, even though she didn’t do much political coverage as a reporter. She said she liked the field because she was encouraged by the idea of working every hard toward something and then seeing it positively affect those around you.
“In politics, you’re always working really hard on something,” Hieger said. “I like accomplishing things, and politics allows you do to that, and you get to see it work.”
Hieger commutes back and forth from St. Louis to Jefferson City. A Nerinx Hall High School graduate raised in Webster Groves, Hieger says most of her friends and family are still back in her hometown. She keeps a small, efficient apartment near the Capitol where her Murphy bed comes “right out of the wall.”
Hieger, 30, is single and says she’s “focused on her career.” Although, what the future of that career holds remains unclear. She won’t rule out running, but she won’t rule out much of anything. She said campaign work is a possibility too, but that it’s too far away to consider.
Ultimately, Hieger enjoys the writing she does for her job, which takes up a significant portion of her daily duties. She assists in writing weekly columns for legislators and helps to pen press releases and other communications from the Republican majority in the Senate.
“I’m trying to stay open to everything and see what opportunities present themselves,” Hieger said.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.