Director of Operations Karen Francis, M.S.W.

With Karen’s shared passion for student achievement and community service, she was destined to join Awareness USA. She describes herself as an agent of change; someone who is willing to stand in the gap, spark tough conversations, and encourage their network to improve our system for the greater good. She believes that it takes a village to help children succeed in school and in life.

Karen earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Upsala College. She worked for over a decade as the Director of Children’s Programming with Hernando-Pasco Hospice. Prior to that she grew her practice as a Medical Social Worker for the Children’s Hospital and Women’s Center at University Community Hospital. Since 2010, she has seen the inequities in learning gaps of economically disadvantaged students working as a School Social Worker in the poorest public schools in Hillsborough County. As an agent of change, she recognizes that poverty impacts the whole child, and works to empower students, families, peers, stakeholders and partners to join the coalition that moves the needle toward equitable change from school to home to neighborhood and beyond. Karen leads the fight for equity where there is little, and creates equity where there is none.