Karen graduated with a B.S. in Architecture. Instead of becoming a practicing Architect, she pursued a career in law enforcement, working as a Correction Officer in New York State Corrections male maximum prisons for seven (7) years. She then returned to school in 2004 to pursue her Masters in Human Resources and began her HR career then. She had worked in industries such as higher education, big box retail, security and non-profit social services, before joining SHRM in 2010.