Karen is a highly experienced leader in early childhood education. As Head of School in both Illinois and California, she developed educational policy and programs that advanced her schools. Karen comes to us from working most recently as the Dean of Students at Berkeley Hall School in Los Angeles, CA where she developed social emotional learning standards and performance assessments for students in preschool through grade 8. She established and refined educational policy and procedures in their early childhood program and throughout the school. Karen has demonstrated her commitment to educational excellence, organizational effectiveness, and supporting faculty and staff to pursue their own learning and professional growth, knowing that the surest way to improve learning is to improve teaching. Karen is genuine, kind, and knowledgeable. Karen has a BA in Child Development, a MA in Special Education: Gifted and an administrative credential. She and her husband have three grown children and recently returned to the area to be near their first grandchild. She loves hiking and enjoying nature, reading, cooking and time with family.