Karen Sher, MAJCS, MA, MSW
Vice President, Community Leadership & Engagement
(314) 442-3824
Karen Sher is the Vice President of Community Leadership and Engagement, where she oversees the Millstone Institute for Jewish Leadership, JProStl, the Israel Center, and PJ Library, and Family and Teen engagement. Karen also manages the Millstone Fellows leadership program, coordinates the Sh’ma: Listen! Speakers Series, and oversees the Government Relations work for the organization. Karen is a graduate of Indiana University with a B.A. in Sociology and a Certificate in Jewish Studies. She attended the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal Service where she received her MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and a MA in Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University. Karen has valuable experience as both a staff person and a respected lay leader. She has worked professionally in the Jewish communal field at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis as Campaign Associate and Director of the Young Professionals Division, as well as Human Resource Development Associate from 1992-98 and in development at the St. Louis Hillel at Washington University.
As a volunteer leader, Karen is co-founder and founding President of Nishmah: The St. Louis Jewish Women’s Project. Prior to rejoining the Jewish Federation of St. Louis staff in a professional capacity, she was co-chair of Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy and served on the Jewish Federation of St. Louis Board of Directors. She is a fellow in cohort III of the Mandel Executive Leadership program, an alumni of the Jewish Federations of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet, and a Grosberg Young Leadership Award recipient. Karen was also chair of the Jewish Community Center’s Helene Mirowitz Department of Jewish Community Life, served on the J’s Board, and is a past board member for St. Louis Hillel at Washington University.
Karen is married to Howie and they are the parents of three amazing current and soon to be young adults.