The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Karen Anderson, an experienced leader and manager in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, took the helm of the Conservancy’s Washington program in 2009.

Previously, Karen developed and oversaw the Global Health Equity Fund for PATH (Programs for Appropriate Technology), an international nonprofit based in Seattle, while at the same time she founded and directed a new nonprofit, Explorations in Math. She worked for three years at Boeing Commercial Airplane company and 10 years at Microsoft Corporation in various leadership roles.

A History of Leadership

Karen began her career as an engineer in the aerospace industry working for Boeing and earned an MBA from the University of Washington. In her 10 years at Microsoft, she worked in marketing, technical and management positions and managed a team of 200 engineers building a new and complex product.

After a sabbatical, where she spent two years bicycling around the world, she returned to the working world at the nonprofit bio-technology organization PATH. At the same time she started and grew a new non-profit organization, Explorations in Math, to address critical needs exposed by testing shortfalls in the Seattle schools.

While her career has not been in the conservation field, nature has long been her passion. Her love of the outdoors has taken her to all corners of the earth, and she has hiked and camped on every continent except Antarctica. She has just returned from a year in Australia, where she and her husband introduced their two 5-year-olds to nature by camping their way around the entire perimeter of the country. Reflecting her love of the environment, she has also been a strong supporter of conservation, focusing on the Conservancy.

Her Role in Washington

As state director, Karen oversees about 100 employees, and a budget of $12 million. The Conservancy owns and manages more than 50,000 acres in Washington, much of that land in preserves that are open to the public. With 30,000 members statewide, the Conservancy has helped to protect more than 550,000 acres in Washington.