Karen Hodge is the Educator Initiative Grant Liaison at GAR Foundation. She works with K-12 educators throughout Summit County to help them activate their innovative ideas to improve classroom learning and more effectively address their students’ needs.
Karen’s career has consistently centered around education. She taught communication courses at The University of Akron, ran a community education initiative for the Domestic Violence Project in Canton, and spent 30 years at Walsh University (North Canton), writing grants, running fundraising campaigns, leading teams, and collaborating with faculty to help them achieve their classroom goals.
When she is not working with educators on behalf of GAR Foundation, Karen collaborates with nonprofits throughout northeast Ohio and across the country. She helps organizations build capacity, create and execute strategic plans, and coaches their boards and staff for greater success.
A proud Zip, Karen has a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communication and a Master of Science in Technical Education, both from The University of Akron. She is also a graduate of Leadership Akron’s Women’s Community Leadership Institute, Class 5, and has earned certification in Foundations of Career Navigation and Coaching from Goodwill Industries International.
Karen lives in Akron and is blessed by a family of friends who make her smile every day. When not baking cookie pies for her tribe, she spends her time reading, attending plays and concerts, walking in local parks, and trying new things.
Believe it or not: Karen is a huge fan of mystery novels - a passion sparked by discovering Nancy Drew as a child. On her bucket list: writing her own best-seller and solving a real-life mystery one day.