Skip to main content

Our Team

A group of WRI Staff and Board Members posing on stage after a successful Trashion Show in April 2026.

Karen Francis-McWhite

Karen Francis-McWhite

Karen Francis-McWhite has called the Upper Valley home since 2017, after visiting the area frequently for more than a decade. She has served the region as Executive Director of the NCW Economic Development District, Central Washington Community Outreach Specialist for the Department of Commerce, and a board member for several NCW nonprofits, including Dangerous Women, where she performs, and the Cascade Education Foundation. Karen enjoys writing, reading, traveling, cooking, gardening with her daughter, and exploring Washington’s beautiful landscapes.