Karen Joslin

Member Spotlight

Company: PAE Consulting Engineers

How did you first hear about CREW Portland?

I have participated in a different chapter in the past, and Pam Armstrong mentioned it one day!

What motivated you to join CREW Portland?

Networking, Meet Inspiring People, Be a Voice for Women in Commercial Real Estate. Support the awareness of sustainability and environmental issues in our commercial built world. Not for developing business opportunities, but to provide experience and influence where women in real estate can be the leaders of innovation and what the future looks like.

How did you get here?

Well, after a degree and career in commercial interior design through the 80s and 90s, I wanted to return to the design and construction world. We had lived in Fort Collins, CO for about 5 years, and back in 2002 when we left there, all three of our kids would have started school in the fall at 3 different LEED certified schools. That kickstarted turning my pragmatism and deep connection to nature into the next career chapter. I started a consulting business in Columbus, Ohio working with as many architects and real estate people as I could reconnect with, and over a few years things built to where I worked directly with clients including Cisco Systems, Deloitte, Ohio State university as well as for project teams of different types to perform sustainability and feasibility analyses and manage projects to bring whatever certification the owner required to fruition. An amazing 13 years and then we wound up here in Portland, with an empty nest and planning to stay forever. I went looking for a position with architects or engineers where I could apply my experience and detailed knowledge of an admittedly narrow field. It turned out that PAE needed a Sustainability expert who could work across all MEPLT disciplines to coordinate, manage, and set up processes for LEED, or Living Building, or even WELL certifications. We found each other at the very best time and it has been just sensational.

Tell us something we didn't know about you?

I have visited 45 state capitols and have the years of pictures to prove it.

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?

Enthusiastic | Happy | Detail-oriented

Favorite Travel Destination?

Nice, FR

What is one goal you would like to achieve through CREW?

Finding my niche in a new place.