Originally from a small town in Northwestern Minnesota, Karen earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Organizational Communications at Concordia College in Moorhead. She has worked in Human Resources for many years -- with Deluxe Corporation for a majority of her career, and since Deluxe has been with several companies in the medical products and services industry. She has earned professional certifications in the field of HR through both the Society of Human Resources Management and the Human Resources Certification Institute.

Currently, Karen is just getting started as an independent Human Resources Consultant, working on a variety of HR projects and initiatives with businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Karen and her husband, Randy, live in Circle Pines, MN. They have two grown children who both live in the Twin Cities.