I was Karen’s manager at the Freshwater Biological Association for over six years and can testify to her competence and abilities in all aspects of her work there. In her work relating to membership services, charity administration and publishing her dedication, understanding of requirements and attention to detail are exemplary; these same attributes make her an excellent organiser of events such as conferences and members’ meetings. Karen saw through the development of 12 scientific publications, co-ordinating all aspects from initial liaison with authors to calculating the print run required. She oversaw the launch and management of three journals, in both print and online formats. She organised and managed five highly successful international conferences and several smaller association members’ meetings. In all these activities Karen was both fully involved in the detailed activities and also able to competently manage a team of assistants. Her 15 years of experience working for the FBA included interaction with other similar organisations, as a consequence of which she has a detailed understanding of the needs of charities and membership societies. For example, her understanding of the requirements for managing publications and membership services was instrumental in ensuring that design of facilities for online sales and development of a customer relationship management (CRM) system for the FBA was fit for purpose. She was able to communicate effectively with charity trustees, both verbally and in written communications, synthesising often detailed and complex information into understandable formats without over-simplification. Adding to these attributes, Karen is always reliable and good humoured, and I would have no hesitation in recommending her for activities such as these in the future.
Dr Michael Dobson
Director of Freshwater Biological Association, 2006-2013