Fels Institute of Government students welcomed Karen Richardson, president of KRB Strategies, to the Public Policy in Practice speaker series on Thursday, February 18, 2021. Ms. Richardson served as associate director and senior advisor in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House under the Obama Administration. In 2014, she was appointed deputy assistant secretary for the US Department of State where she worked on The Paris Agreement on climate change.
In the conversation, moderated by Distinguished Fellow Elizabeth Vale, Ms. Richardson shared insights on her multiple accomplishments during her time in the White House, including supporting the passage of the Affordable Care Act. She recounted her experience in early 2009 meeting with various constituencies multiple times a week to get input on the ACA. She emphasized the desire to “bring many people along for the process” and spoke of her meetings with physicians, healthcare providers, women, and youth.
Ms. Richardson is now president of KRB Strategies where she practices social impact consulting. She is also head of communications for the office of the C40 Chair with Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, CA. Reflecting on her personal and professional experiences, Ms. Richardson shared several pieces of advice with students interested in impacting the public sector, including the importance of staying humble.
