(Orlando, Florida) – The YMCA of Central Florida, a leading non-profit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, recently elected Karen Brown to a two-year term as Board Chair at its annual meeting.
Karen first became involved with the YMCA when she joined the Downtown Orlando Y as a teenager. In 2015, she volunteered to serve on the Downtown Orlando YMCA’s Board of Directors which led to her appointment to the YMCA of Central Florida’s Metropolitan Board in 2016, followed by her appointment to the Executive Committee in 2020. Karen also actively serves on the Y’s Audit/Treasury Committee and the Finance Committee, where she previously served as Chair.
“Karen is the embodiment of a highly-engaged, grass-roots volunteer leader at the Y,” says Kevin Bolding, YMCA of Central Florida President and CEO. “She leverages her business-savvy for the good of the Y and understands the importance of what the Y means to the many communities that we serve.”
Karen serves as a Partner at Ernst & Young, a position she has held since 2012. She graduated from Stetson University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting and currently serves on the university’s Boards for Accounting and School of Business. Karen also is an active member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
“The YMCA is a place where everyone is welcome and cared for,” says Karen Brown. “I am looking forward to working with our talented board members and Y leadership team to further strengthen the Y’s financial and philanthropic foundations so we can best meet the needs of our community for generations to come.” Karen was the 2014 recipient of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Woman of Influence Award, and the 2017 recipient of the YMCA of Central Florida’s Barbara Roper Advocacy Award. She currently lives in Orlando with her husband and three sons.
To learn more about the YMCA of Central Florida, please visit YMCACF.org.