Accomplishments:
- Participated in the proposal process of the Suitland Town Center Project and Suitland High School.
- Advocated for community involvement. Organized meetings with elected officials to ensure residents have a say in who and what comes to their community.
- Provided Scholarships to Suitland High School students.
- Proposed several economic development solutions. Worked with developers to provide quality retail businesses and affordable housing.
- Established an Ad Hoc Committee to lobby our elected officials for assistance in rectifying issues surrounding public safety, jobs and training, economic development, and the rebuilding of Suitland High School.
- Worked with Congressional as well as State and Federal representatives to have the debris removed from the Census Bureau construction project, which was an eyesore in our community for 8 years.
- Organized a Bike & Pedestrian Study with the Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA) and community residents to improve bike lanes and walk paths on Silver Hill Road and Suitland Road.
- Appointed a Code Enforcement Committee to address blighted and foreclosure properties in our community.
- Developed several partnerships with County, State, and Local agencies as well as churches, businesses, non-profits, and schools to provide health, financial, environmental, and recreational workshops and training opportunities to our residents.
- Organized a meeting with the Senators and County Council to prioritize Suitland High School on the Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) list. We created a “change.org” and petitioned for the County to build a new Suitland High School.
Awards:
Karen has received numerous accolades and won several prestigious awards for her service within our community:
- Department of Public Works and Transportation, 2017
- Maryland Park & Planning Federation, 2016
- Prince George’s County Board of Education Coalition, 2014
- Maryland State Senator Joanne C. Benson, 2014
- Prince George’s County Christmas in April project, 2012-2017
Events:
Karen has partnered with various sponsors and facilitated several workshops and events to bring services to residents and raise community awareness.
- Healthy Living & Eating
- Senior Summits
- Climate Expo
- College Planning
- Emergency Preparedness
- Grant writing
- Financial Literacy
- Women’s history month celebration
- Clean up, Green up
- Community Yard Sale
- Thanksgiving basket Giveaway
- Christmas in April project