Karen Burton earned a Bachelor of Science in Management of Technology with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Athens State University. Karen has held the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification through the Human Resources Certification Institute since 2003, and the SHRM-SCP (Society of Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional) designation since 2016. She also completed a course at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business, earning a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace.

Karen has decades of federal government, government contractor, and private sector (non-profit & healthcare) experience, including recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, federal employment laws, job analysis, job descriptions, performance management, employee and labor relations, mediation, training and development, and HR management.

She is enthusiastic about training and development of managers and HR professionals and assisting organizations with strategic planning, root cause analysis, and employee engagement activities. Karen has taught supervisory, leadership, and human resource development courses. She previously served as the Director of Certification for the North Alabama Society of Human Resource Management (NASHRM), conducting study groups for HR professionals who were preparing for their Certification Exams, and still enjoys mentoring HR professionals.

Karen made the Madison, Alabama community her permanent home in 2010 after traveling and working across the country for the federal government. She enjoys giving back to the community by lending her talents to local non-profit organizations. Her personal interests include crafts, music, and spending time with her retired greyhounds.