Karen Appelbaum
she/her/hers
Operations Director
Joined Northwest Area Foundation: March 2008
EMAIL“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” — Unknown
Karen leads the Office Management department and oversees the Information Technology department. In her role, she directs the Foundation’s facilities management, emergency preparedness and business continuity planning, technology systems improvement initiatives, vendor policy, and data retention and destruction activities.
She cultivates strong vendor relationships and manages projects across the organization to ensure that the Foundation’s physical office operates efficiently and addresses the health, safety, and well-being of employees and visitors.
For more than 30 years, Karen has been volunteering weekly as a kitchen helper at Open Arms of Minnesota. Her volunteering gives her an opportunity to bring hope and nourishment to individuals living with life-threatening illnesses. She also enjoys spending time in nature; bicycling; and tackling Sudoku, crossword, and jigsaw puzzles. She and her spouse have two daughters.