Karen Lynch
Karen is a respected community and civic leader, with over 50 years of diverse experience. That’s why she has developed a reputation for making things happen and getting things done.
She put herself through the University of Alberta Faculty of Arts by driving trucks as a Teamster on the Syncrude site in Fort McMurray. After graduating with a degree in Economics, she served as Executive Assistant to the Speaker in the Alberta Legislature. After senior positions in communications at Alberta College and the Workers’ Compensation Board, she brought her passion for community volunteerism to Volunteer Alberta. During her eight years as Executive Director, the organization developed into a dynamic and multifaceted resource for engaging Albertans in the non-profit and voluntary sector.
Karen’s forte is creating and nurturing networks of people involved in building community leadership. She has served on the boards of the Edmonton Public Library Board, Volunteer Canada and Alberta Ballet, and as the elected President of the Alberta Library Trustees Association and Canadian Parents for French, and chaired the Greater Edmonton Foundation, Alberta’s largest provider of homes for low income seniors. She now co-chairs Concerts in Care (Health Arts Society of Alberta) and Kids Included (formerly GRIT) serving families with children who live with disabilities. Karen received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for her nonprofit sector leadership. Over 42 years in the political arena, Karen has been involved in over 30 municipal, provincial, federal, leadership and referendum campaigns – with an enviable win/loss record!
In September 2019, Karen retired from her position at ATB Financial where she developed and implemented a successful post-secondary initiative strategy to support student success, recruit the brightest and best, and leverage ATB’s presence and investments on Alberta campuses.
Karen is an avid reader, e-bike cyclist and traveller. She is the proud mother of twins – Whitney is an entertainment lawyer at Netflix in London, UK and Rowan is a professor at Stanford and added two adorable grandkids to her life since 2021.