Karen is the Chief Executive Officer for
Five Rivers MetroParks, in Dayton, Ohio. Karen oversees more than 300 employees
who protect and maintain 16,500 acres of parkland in a district with more than
500,000 residents. The agency’s mission
is also to connect people with nature.
Karen has enjoyed more than 40 years in
the parks and recreation profession having begun her career with Chester County
Parks and Recreation Department in Pennsylvania, and held positions including
Chief Park Ranger, Regional Park Superintendent, and Assistant Director during
her 27 years with the County.
She moved to Glendale, Arizona as
a Deputy Director for the Parks and Recreation Department for six years before
moving to Dayton in 2012. Karen served as the Chief of Operations and the
Director of Park
Services and Legislative Affairs at Five Rivers Metro Parks prior to becoming CEO.
As a member of the American Academy
for Parks and Recreation Administration Karen has helped to mentor
professionals through the Academy, as well as over the years of her career.
Karen has presented numerous sessions at local, state, and national conferences
since 1996, including the keynote speaker for the Mentorship Program at the New
Jersey Recreation and Park Association conference in 2019. Karen
has been active in the National Recreation and Park Association, serving as a Certified Agency Accreditation Visitor
for the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA)
since 2008. She also served on the NRPA National Forum, the NRPA National
Awards Committee, the NRPA National Diversity Committee, the APRS Board of
Directors, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council. Karen recently became a
member of the National Association of Park Foundation’s Advisory Council.
Karen
is involved in the local community too where she serves on the Miami Valley
Regional Planning Commission, Miami Valley Regional Disaster Recovery for
Jurisdictions Committee, Rotary Club of Dayton, Executive Committee of the Boy
Scouts of America Miami Valley Council, and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
community outreach committee.
Karen has a Bachelor of Science degree in
Parks and Recreation, Resource Management from Slippery Rock University; and
has served on the Board of Regents for the North Carolina State
University/National Recreation and Park Association Maintenance Management
School in Wheeling, WV since 1997.
Karen is an avid Philadelphia Eagles and
Phillies fan; never met a national park or world travel adventure she didn’t
want to explore; and enjoys hiking, the theater, and spending time laughing
with good friends and family. [current
as of June 2023]