Laura Andersen
Board Member
Laura Andersen has called Portland, Oregon home since 1999 after being raised in central Texas and obtaining her B.S. in Economics from Texas A&M University in College Station. Her professional career encompasses the areas of Banking, Finance, Lending and Real Estate Development. Since 2016, Laura has worked for Umpqua Bank, currently within a specialty division; Columbia Healthcare Banking and Columbia Professional Banking, supporting capital funding of privately owned licensed private practice clients throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Laura’s Scandinavian family tree traces to Denmark, where her second great grandfather immigrated to America from Copenhagen in the late 1860’s. Prior to Copenhagen, the family ancestry was concentrated around Snejbjerg, Hammerum, Ringkøbing and Frølund areas.
Laura grew up with a deep appreciation for the outdoors and in her spare time, she enjoys exploring natural areas for fly fishing and hiking. She has a daughter who plans to attend the University of Oregon in the Fall of 2025.
At Nordic Northwest, Laura is actively involved in the community and dedicates time serving on the Finance Committee and the Board of Directors.
Why is Nordic Northwest special to you?
Nordic Northwest is special to me because it connects my daughter and I to our heritage in ways that would otherwise be lost. I am thankful to be a part of an exceptional organization that keeps Scandinavian culture and traditions alive and relevant.
If you could pick one place in the Nordic countries to visit, where would it be?
The coastal and farming communities of Central Jutland, Denmark. I grew up with a fond appreciation for the farming and coastal communities in Texas, because that is where my second great grandfather eventually settled after leaving Denmark, and that was an integral part of my childhood. It would bring great joy to experience the corresponding farming and coastal communities in Denmark where my ancestry began.