Karen Oates - Director of Workforce Development and Financial Stability

As the Director of Workforce Development & Financial Stability, Karen has oversight of much of the adult programming for La Casa, including:  the Employer Connect program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Family Self Sufficiency, and Financial Stability Initiative.

Karen Oates graduated from Alverno College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and a minor in Communications and has neared completion of her Master’s degree in Adult Learning & Curriculum.  

Karen began her career coordinating apprenticeships and employee training with the U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training and at Badger Meter.   Karen transitioned into Public Relations and Marketing – becoming a Marketing Manager in a software division of McGraw-Hill Publishing.   A few years later, Karen co-founded EssentialSoftware, which developed and marketed financial software for CPAs and attorneys.  In her fourteen years at EssentialSoftware, she served as the Director of Operations and Marketing.  Karen also served as the Director of Public Relations & Marketing for the Holy Family Memorial Health System in Manitowoc Wisconsin.

In 2000, Karen made the transition from marketing to adult learning starting as an instructional designer at Assurant Health.  During her eight years at Assurant, she managed training and quality assurance functions, and in her last two years served as the Director of Knowledge Management which encompassed:  training, quality assurance, technical writing, project management, and intranet services leading forty-five managers and staff.  Three years ago, Karen made the decision to transition from for-profit to nonprofit and joined La Casa de Esperanza as the Director of Workforce Development and Financial Stability.

Click to View the Rest of La Casa's Staff in the Menu Below

· Shari Campbell  · Gary Gorlen  · Laurel Andersen  · Ailec González  · Kelly Colgan  

· Cindy Retzack  · Karen Oates  · Carmen de la Paz  · Ligia “Lee” Wipfli, BS, SAC

· Mary Hamkins  · Dave Geisthardt  · Tracey Stanislawski

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