Karen has been a resident of Ellicott City, Maryland for the past 30 years. As Recording Secretary she is responsible for maintaining ALI policies and helps in other areas as needed. Karen is a registered nurse and has been working as an instructor in the nursing division at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland for the past 12 years. Before that she held many positions in the nursing profession in Boston, Massachusetts. She worked as a volunteer tutor for Project Literacy at Howard County’s Central Library for 12 years.
Karen is a parent of a son with autism spectrum disorder who has lived successfully in an ALI home for the past 10 years. Karen has been a special needs community advocate for parents since the 1990s. She has served on the Board and on several committees for The Arc of Howard County and has participated in parenting workshops for that organization as well. Karen and her husband, Gary, have written numerous articles for local publications on topics such as autism spectrum disorder, transition through school, and inclusion. Karen has made presentations on these topics to teaching staff, service coordinators, and social workers. Over twelve years ago she along with several other parents started a social skills group for young adults with disabilities. Karen strongly supports the mission of ALI which is to promote independence and community involvement and to help residents meet personal goals to ensure a good quality of life.