Gov. Gregoire appoints Karen Lee to WWU Board of Trustees

For Immediate Release: December 23, 2010

BELLINGHAM � Gov. Chris Gregoire has appointed Karen Lee, who has more than 20 years� experience working in senior management positions in business and government, to Western Washington University�s Board of Trustees.

�Karen is a proven leader with an immense amount of invaluable work experience,� Gregoire said. �Her knowledge, combined with her drive, will be a strong asset at Western Washington University.�

Lee is the past commissioner of the Washington State Employment Security Department, and now serves as the CEO of Seattle-based Pioneer Human Services, one of the nation's largest social enterprise organizations. Since its founding in 1963, the nonprofit organization has served over 100,000 people through an integrated array of services including housing, employment training, treatment, counseling and re-entry services.

�I am familiar with Western�s strong reputation for academic excellence and look forward to working with the distinguished trustees and the entire Western community,� Lee said.

Lee grew up in a military family that moved frequently to locations in the United States, Germany and Korea. After her father was promoted to brigadier general, the family settled at Fort Lewis near Tacoma. She graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, served as an officer in the U.S. Army for nearly five years, then returned to the Northwest to attend the University of Washington law school. In addition to a juris doctorate, she also earned an MBA from the University of Washington. She worked at the Seattle law firm of Preston, Gates & Ellis (now K & L Gates) and Puget Sound Energy, where she ultimately oversaw its natural gas operations.

�Karen Lee�s understanding of the workings of both business and government will be invaluable to the trustees as we support the many talented people who make Western such a very special place,� Western Board of Trustee Chair Dennis Madsen said.

�We are delighted to learn of Karen Lee�s appointment to the Board of Trustees. Her exceptional leadership will foster Western�s commitment to academic excellence and strong service to the State of Washington,� said WWU President Bruce Shepard.

The Covington resident is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, president of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, past president and trustee of the University of Washington Alumni Association, and former Board member of the Cascade Land Conservancy. She previously was named one of the "40 under 40" honorees by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Lee�s term on the Board of Trustees is effective immediately and ends in September 2016.