Lauren McChesney

Lauren spent the majority of her adult life as a medical social worker and healthcare marketer. She met her partner Matthew McClanahan in 2018, when she was a customer at his first drive-in theater. After traveling around the country together visiting drive-in movie theaters and unique cinematic displays, Lauren found herself gravitating more toward the cinema business. In 2022, Lauren took a leap out of healthcare and joined the movie exhibition industry full time as one of the new owners and operators of Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre, the oldest operating drive-in theater in the world and now one of the top 5 “Best Drive-In Theaters” in the US by popular vote through USA Today. In her new role, Lauren strives to engage with the community, building partnerships and expanding the theater’s usage beyond traditional programming. She now serves as an ambassador for both the National Association of Theatre Owners and the Lehigh Valley.