Karen received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from OHSU (formerly University of Oregon School of Nursing) in 1966. She had 12 years of chronic pain rehabilitation experience prior to joining Summit Research in 1989. As a research clinician she has experience in clinical trials for conditions such as dementia, depression, and anxiety. She received her Master of Arts in Counseling from Western Seminary in 1997. As a member of the Memory Health Center team at Summit, she facilitated the Caregiver Support Group, affiliated with the Alzheimer’s Association, for many years.
Karen joined the Hope Dementia Support Group in 2022 as a volunteer Caregiver Support Group facilitator. She also was affected personally when her mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in the 90’s, passing away with the disease in 2006. Karen is very involved in her church, participating in leadership, singing in the choir and playing handbells. She has been an auxiliary member of The Gideons International since 2005 and is active in the community.
In her spare time, Karen enjoys photography, traveling and gardening. Since retiring from Nursing in 2021, she has focused on her second career as a travel advisor. Karen personally helps seniors fulfill their dream vacations, especially those with accessibility challenges. She lives in Ridgefield, WA with her husband. They have 3 married children and 4 grandsons. Her passion is helping others achieve a quality of life, living up to their potential.