Karen has lived in Frederick County since 2005, moving from Montgomery County’s agricultural reserve to the City of Frederick to be closer to family.

 

She has worked in publishing, with the American Physiological Society, 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, smart growth, and environmental and social justice issues.

 

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 a degree in English and Environmental Studies. She is a lifetime member of the Sierra Club and served on the Executive Committee of the 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 was asked to serve on the County Executive’s Transition Team on the Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Transportation Committee. She also 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 co-founded Mobilize Frederick with Barb Trader and also served as Executive Director of Envision Frederick County.