Karen worked for the New Mexico Environment Department for 30 years in various programs that protect and restore surface water and groundwater. In the Surface Water Quality Bureau, she oversaw the River Stewardship Program that restored rivers, streams and riparian areas throughout the state, and worked in the Wetlands Program on wetland mapping, planning, protection and restoration. In the Ground Water Quality Bureau, she worked on pollution prevention, revitalization of Brownfields properties, and cleanup of groundwater and soil contamination.
Karen graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a BA in Geological Sciences and took graduate coursework in Hydrogeology at the University of Wyoming. Some of her personal interests are directly compatible with healthy river systems: birdwatching, fly fishing, paddleboarding, and trail running.