Karen Whitaker, one of CS&A’s most experienced consultants, focuses on domestic head of school and key administrator searches. Since joining the firm, she has worked on nearly a hundred searches, and she particularly enjoys exploring an organization’s values and aspirations and then seeking alignment among candidates. She considers it a great privilege to earn the trust of each client.

Before joining CS&A, Karen worked in Bay Area public and independent schools for thirty years, most recently at Branson, where she served a Director of Studies, Academic Dean, and Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs. Her extensive experience in schools has given her expertise in many areas of school life, including hiring, leadership development, strategic planning, and governance. In addition to her work in search, Karen mentors aspiring leaders through the California Teacher Development Collaborative, coaches key administrators, and serves as a trustee at Alta Vista School (PK-8) in San Francisco. Karen is a graduate of the Klingenstein program at Columbia, a network of the leading educators in the independent school world.

Karen earned her B.A. from Stanford University and her California Teaching Credential from University of California, Berkeley. She also graduated with an M.A. in Private School Leadership from the Klingenstein Program at Columbia University. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, beekeeping, bird watching, hiking, reading, yoga, home improvement projects, and spending time with family and friends.