Karen Lee Named Pioneer Human Services CEO

SEATTLE, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneer Human Services, one of the nation's largest social enterprise organizations, today announced Washington State Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee has been chosen to become the social service agency's Chief Executive Officer.

Lee, a West Point graduate, brings more than 20 years' experience working in senior management positions in business and government to her new assignment. As ESD Commissioner, she oversees an agency with a $680 million biennial budget, 2,800 employees and more than 70 offices around the state. She also serves as a member of Gov. Christine Gregoire's cabinet.  

"Karen's management experience, exceptional leadership skills, solid team-building track record and clear client-focus will be of tremendous help to Pioneer Human Services as we strive to serve our clients and give people a chance for change," said Alice Paine, PHS Board Chair.

Pioneer Human Services is one of the nation's largest social enterprise organizations, often cited as a national model in providing a "Chance for Change" through an integrated array of services, including employment, job training, treatment, housing, counseling, and reentry services for people overcoming challenges with chemical dependency, mental illness, and criminal histories. 

Lee grew up in a military family that moved frequently to locations in the United States, Germany and Korea. After her father was promoted to brigadier general, the family settled at Fort Lewis near Tacoma. She graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, served as an officer in the U.S. Army for nearly five years, then returned to the Northwest to attend the University of Washington law school.

Lee's resume includes the Seattle law firm of Preston, Gates & Ellis (now K & L Gates) and Puget Sound Energy, where she ultimately oversaw its natural gas operations. Gregoire appointed Lee to head the Employment Security Department in March 2005.

During her tenure as head of the Employment Security Department, Lee is credited with turning around the organization and instilling a performance-based culture. ESD successes under her leadership included: paying record levels of unemployment benefits during the recession, while also continuing to implement performance improvements; revamping the agency's approach to serving job seekers to be more personalized and more consistent across the state; operating the most successful shared work program in the country, which saved more than 22,000 jobs in Washington during the worst part of the recession; and investing in significant technology upgrades to improve agency efficiency, as well as improve service to taxpayers and job seekers.  One of these investments was Virtual Hold technology that helped reduce telephone wait times for unemployment-insurance claimants from nearly an hour to just minutes.

As Washington is one of the few states in the nation with a solvent unemployment insurance trust fund, and is credited with the most successful shared work program, Lee's counsel has been sought out by White House Economic Policy Advisors and members of Congress. She testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and appeared on NBC Nightly News.

The Covington resident is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, president of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, past president and trustee of the UW Alumni Association, former Board member of the Cascade Land Conservancy. She previously was named one of the "40 under 40" honorees by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

About Pioneer Human Services

Seattle-based Pioneer Human Services improves the lives of its clients through employment training, job placement, intervention, treatment, counseling, and housing using the social enterprise model, which combines the passionate pursuit of the organization's social mission with the discipline and innovation of a for-profit business.

Founded in 1963, Pioneer Human Services is recognized nationwide as a model social enterprise that successfully integrates needed wrap-around services to people on the margins of society. Employing nearly 1,000 individuals throughout the state of Washington at more than 50 locations, Pioneer Human Services is unique because it earns 99 percent of its revenue through the sale of products or fees for services. The organization was recognized as one of the nation's top 25 Social Capitalists by Fast Company magazine in 2006 and 2007. For more information go to www.pioneerhumanservices.org.

SOURCE Pioneer Human Services