Blazer5 Gaming and Oregon Army National Guard have partnered to bring you Leader of the Month – Randy Lauer

Leader of the Month – Randy Lauer

In 2015, Randy wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of serving his country by enlisting in the Oregon Army National Guard. Unfortunately, due a previous medical condition, Randy was unable to enlist. Still feeling the need to give back in some capacity, Randy decided to serve his community by running for elected office and in 2016, was elected to the Troutdale City Council. After serving a 4-year term as councilor, Randy decided to give back even more by running for Mayor and is in his third year as the Mayor of Troutdale. Randy has dedicated his life to serving his community.

Now, Randy, along with his amazing wife Chausse, owns 3-46 GRIT, a local CrossFit gym that embraces all community members. Together, they also host a litany of community events involving health and fitness activities, while encouraging anyone and everyone to lead active a more active lifestyle.

What’s the funniest or most surprising reaction you’ve ever had to a victory or loss in a game?

I’m not much of a gamer and don’t play video games now but at one point in time of my life, they were very important to me. I fell into gaming while recovering from a devastating knee injury. I had lots of time on my hands just sitting around and fighting depression was a real situation every day. Gaming helped to refocus my unspent energy, keep me motivated to move forward (in the real and not so real world) and kept me connected to friends through multi-player games. During a multiplayer campaign victory, one that we worked for hours to successfully plan and execute, I celebrated by “jumping” in my chair even though my knee was in traction. I re-injured my knee from the excessive celebration and had to govern my reactions from then on.

If you could teach a leadership class in the Oregon Army National Guard using NBA 2K, what would be your first lesson?

My first lesson would be centered around teamwork. It would involve us playing as the last ranked team in the league, emphasizing working together to overcome obstacles put in our way through no fault of our own.

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What is Leader of the Month?

The Oregon Army National Guard and Blazer5 Gaming have teamed up to highlight leaders in the community and celebrate their stories and initiatives. Each month, the Oregon Army National Guard will nominate a leader that is working to shape their community – National Guard Soldiers and civilians – all working together to lead the way into the future.