Karen began her career with the VA Regional Office and Insurance Center in 1980, as a Veterans Claims Examiner in the Insurance Claims Division. In that role, she decided eligibility for disability insurance benefits. She moved into the position of Insurance Specialist in the Program Evaluations and Standards Section, as a member of a team that conducted on site operational reviews both for insurance programs operating in the Philadelphia Insurance Center and those programs administered by Prudential Insurance Company.

She has held numerous other positions within the Insurance Center, and most recently before being appointed as Deputy Director, held the role of Assistant Director, Program Administration, VBA Insurance Service. In that role, she led teams that were responsible for data analytics, innovation, legislative and regulatory guidance for the VA insurance programs and the policies and procedures applicable to eleven different life insurance programs administered and supervised by VA.

Karen was appointed as Deputy Director, Insurance Service in November 2022 and Executive Director (Acting) in February 2024. In this latest role, she oversees Insurance Service for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), providing over $1.48 trillion in life insurance coverage for 5.6 million Veterans, Servicemembers, and Families. She is also responsible for supervising the Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Programs, ensuring timely accurate financial management and actuarial soundness of insurance trust funds, formulating legislative and regulatory proposals, developing the insurance strategic plan, formulating and executing the program budgets, and driving new technology upgrades. oversees the Insurance program operational elements, policy, budget, information technology and performance analytics governing all VA insurance programs. She regularly interacts with program stakeholders from other federal agencies such as the Department of Defense and the uniformed military services as well as representatives of the commercial insurer that administers the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) programs.

Karen has a BA in sociology from Mercyhurst College and is a member of the Leadership VA Class of 2017.