Karen Conrad
Senior Funding Navigator Manager
Karen Conrad became a Senior Funding Navigator Manager at EPIC in 2026, continuing her lifelong commitment to helping communities strengthen their water and wastewater systems. Before joining EPIC, she worked for 19‑years at Communities Unlimited which included leading environmental programs across seven states and supporting dozens of rural communities through hands‑on technical assistance. Karen’s career began in utility operations, where she spent more than two decades at Missouri American Water Company, ultimately serving as Plant Superintendent. She is passionate about building community capacity and ensuring that every system—no matter its size—has access to the resources it needs to thrive. Karen holds a BS in Environmental Science from Missouri Southern State University and MBA from Pittsburg State University and multiple Class A/B water and wastewater operator licenses in Missouri and Oklahoma.
Get to Know Me Further
I developed a great love for water and water quality at a very early age and spent my youth fishing and playing on local lakes and streams. My environmental interests began in my teens and I started recycling things before recycling was cool. I live in a rural area, grew up in a rural area, and understand issues facing small rural communities. My greatest (and certainly most difficult LOL) task has been raising my great-niece whom I adopted when she was 5, she is now 17 - WOW time flies!