Executive DirectorKaren has lived in Frederick County since 2005, moving from the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve to the City of Frederick to be closer to family in the area.
She has worked in publishing, with the American Physiological Society for many years, owned a small market farm and CSA in Montgomery County, and has had a long career in Information Technology/Cybersecurity program and portfolio management with Fannie Mae and Capital One Financial. She recently retired from Information Technology to focus on climate change, environmental advocacy, smart growth and environmental & social justice issues.
Outside of work, Karen has had a lifelong interest in environmental issues and sustainable development. She helped to establish the Environmental Studies program at her alma mater, Colgate University, and graduated with degrees in English and Environmental Studies. She is a lifetime member of the Sierra Club and served on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club’s Montgomery County group for several years before moving to Frederick. She has also volunteered with Earthwatch, traveling to Nepal to support a sustainable development project. Most recently, she co-chaired the Agriculture, Forestry, Food, and Land Management subcommittee of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Workgroup (CEMWG) and helped to develop the final report that was submitted to both the City of Frederick and Frederick County in August of 2021. She currently co-chairs Mobilize Frederick, the advocacy group that was formed to support adoption of the recommendations in the CEMWG report.