Karen Beck Pooley*

Bethlehem Area School District

Karen Beck Pooley is a Professor of Practice of Political Science at Lehigh University, where she directs the Environmental Policy Master’s Program and the Community Fellows Program.  She also serves as the Director of Research and Analytics at czb LLC (an urban planning and neighborhood development consulting firm), and is a member of the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) School Board, BASD Proud Parents, and the Northampton Community College Board of Trustees, and on the Steering Committee of Pennsylvanians for Fair Funding.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wellesley College, a Master of Urban Planning & Policy from New School University’s Milano Graduate School, and a Ph.D. in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.

In response to the nomination form question, “Why I wish to serve in this position and what I hope to accomplish?”

“I see this as an exciting extension of the work I've been doing with Pennsylvanians for Fair Funding, Lehigh Valley for Fair Funding, and BASD Proud Parents (our district's parent advocacy group). I really enjoy staying current on local, state and national legislation and issues affecting our schools, and also enjoy engaging others on those topics, too.”