Karen is a Director of Oceans Conservation on the WWF-US Oceans team. In this role, she leads the strategic development and effective management and implementation of work to conserve and restore marine and coastal ecosystems in Latin America, the Western Indian Ocean, and Asia-Pacific regions, with a focus on mangroves. She coordinates with our global network of offices and a broad array of stakeholders and partners, from local communities to governments and the private sector, to advance and strengthen science, policy, partnerships, finance, and implementation of on-the-ground initiatives that ensure benefits for nature and people. Karen also represents WWF on the Steering Committee of the Global Mangrove Alliance, a partnership of more than 40 organizations that aims to increase the protection and conservation of mangroves worldwide. Since joining WWF in 2008, she has held a number of roles including supporting field programs in the Mesoamerican Reef, Galápagos, and the Gulf of California, and well as supporting marine and fisheries work throughout Latin America.
Prior to joining WWF, Karen was a Program Officer with the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation’s Andes-Amazon Initiative. She has also worked with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science and Human Rights program, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International, and has conducted field work in Costa Rica. She has a B.A. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia and an M.S. in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development from the University of Maryland.
