Karen Lane is the new Program Administrator for the FACES for the Future Coalition and the Alameda County Care Alliance, two programs at the Public Health Institute. She graduated from Cal State East Bay with a BA in Human Development.
After many years assisting low-income clients with job readiness through a federal workforce development program, she sought to expand her business skills through work in the private sector, but with the long-term goal of returning to work in the nonprofit community. That led her to work for a financial corporation where she ultimately found her way into coordinating the company’s philanthropy budget and volunteer recognition program. After the company was sold, Karen went to work for Samuel Merritt University as a program manager with the nurse anesthesia graduate program, where she first learned about and was inspired by the FACES for the Future program. After more than eight years at the university, she yearned to realize her goal of working with a community-based program and found the ideal opportunity at the Public Health Institute.
Community involvement has been a big part of Karen’s life and has included work as a volunteer crisis counselor, baker of birthday cakes for foster youth, and her newest role as a hospice volunteer.