Staff

Karen has been working in the non-profit sector for more than 30 years as both a volunteer and a staff member. She began the role of Executive Director for CARITAS in 2000. In 2007, Karen took on the dual role as Executive Director for The Healing Place, a long-term residential recovery program for men struggling with substance use disorders. Effective July 1, 2012, she guided the efforts to merge the organization with CARITAS making CARITAS the largest homeless services organization in the metro Richmond area.  She is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond, a recipient of the Stettinius Award for Non-Profit Leadership, United Way’s “Champion for Change” of 2008, a 2010 YWCA Outstanding Woman Award winner and the 2010 Better Housing Coalition’s “Creative Collaborator.” She has served as an appointed member of the Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism and on the boards of Homeward and Leadership Metro Richmond. In October 2012, Karen was inducted in the Virginia First Lady’s FLITE Hall of Fame for Women in Business. She currently serves on the vestry of St. James's Episcopal Church.

Elly is a licensed CPA and a Society of Human Resource Management, Senior Certified Professional. She holds an MBA from Columbia University, where she focused on strategy and operations, and a BA in Psychology from Vassar College. Elly brings a valuable blend of knowledge and nearly three decades of experience with non-profit organizations. She has demonstrated success growing organizations, managing turnaround, and advising startups. Elly provides strategic insight to the CARITAS leadership team by focusing on the financial picture.

Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Paul and his wife moved to Charlotte in 2003 for career opportunities. They have three children — one son and two daughters. Paul left his 30-year hospitality career and found time to reflect, attend therapy, and begin his road to long-term sobriety. While working as a hospitality consultant in recovery, Paul connected with Hope Haven in Charlotte, where he served as Vice President of Food Services for three years. After following his wife to Richmond in 2018, Paul joined the CARITAS team in 2020 in preparation for the CARITAS Center to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that our doors are open, he’s focused on refining many processes and creating new ways for the team to accomplish our mission every single day.

Steph came to CARITAS with over 20 years of experience as an innovative data leader in the healthcare industry.  She specializes in business intelligence and data storytelling-- turning program data into impactful insights, narratives and graphics.  Steph was recently recognized as a national leader in healthcare data visualization and is excited to bring her passions for data culture and digital literacy to Caritas.  Steph is a “Double Hoo” with a BS in Engineering and a MEd in Kinesiology from the University of Virginia.  Steph and her family moved to the Richmond area in 2010.  She is an avid explorer and enjoys boondocking in her Airstream trailer, listening to local music and spending quality time with family and friends.

A Richmond native, Emily has a wide breadth of experience volunteering and working in the local nonprofit community. An alumna of William & Mary and Auburn, Emily worked for higher education nonprofits for nearly a decade prior to coming to CARITAS in 2019. She serves on the leadership committee for Impact 100 Richmond and is a graduate of the Emerging Nonprofit Leaders Program in 2018 and Leadership Metro Richmond in 2020. Whether it's the next CARITAS event or an international adventure with her husband, Emily is always planning!