Karen Williams Seel Commission Vice-Chair District 5 e-mail kseel@pinellascounty.org

EDUCATION

Master of Business Administration, with Honors, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Glendale, Arizona, August 1981.  Studies at Templeton College at the University of Oxford, England and at La Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico.

Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Cum Laude, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, December 1979.

High School Diploma, Clearwater High School, 1976.

HONORS

• ITS Florida, ITS Champion of the Year, 2006
• Tampa Bay Business Journal Business Woman of the Year, Government Category, 2006
• Junior Achievement Leadership Award, 2005
• Florida Redevelopment Association, 2005, Special Achievement Award
• Suncoast League of Cities, 2005, Award of Special Recognition
• Sertoma - Service to Mankind Award - 2000
• Who’s Who of American Women (1999-2000 edition) and Millennium Edition (2000-2001)
• Leadership Pinellas, Distinguished Alumni Award, 2000
• Soroptimist Women Honoring Women, 1999
• Girl Scout Woman of Distinction Award, 1999
• Virginia H. Lazzara Award, YWCA Service Award, 1998
• Volunteer of the Year, Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin, 1994 and 1997
• University of Florida: Outstanding Female Graduate for Leadership, Fall 1979; Hall of Fame; Florida Blue Key

WORK EXPERIENCE

PINELLAS COUNTY GOVERNMENT
COUNTY COMMISSIONER: Appointed in January 1999 by Governor Bush to fill an unexpired term.  Elected in September 2000 to a four year term and again in 2004.  The Board of County Commissioners is a seven member legislative and governing body of Pinellas County.  They are given the authority by the State constitution to adopt local ordinances, approve the County budget and set millages for all departments under the County Administrator and the Constitutional Officers and to make decisions on long range planning and future growth for Pinellas County.

CITY OF CLEARWATER, Clearwater, Florida
COMMISSIONER: April 1996 to January 1999.  An elected 3-year position on a five member Commission which discharges the obligations and responsibilities prescribed by state law, city ordinance and city charter.

WILLIAMS ARCHITECTS CHARTERED, Clearwater, Florida
CONTROLLER: March 1987 - 1995
Responsible for all financial, legal, risk management and insurance functions in a closely held family corporation.

AL AKEEL & BROTHERS, Saudi Arabia
MARKETING RESEARCH: 1983-1984
Provided comprehensive marketing analyses and reports for large electrical equipment manufacturer.

DOW CHEMICAL USA, Houston, Texas
MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE: 1982-1983
Represented the Industrial Foams product line in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  Responsible for sales, technical representations and development of new product applications.

COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE

PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE:
Current:  Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO); Tampa Bay Partnership Board of Directors; Chair, MPO Intelligent Transportation System Committee; MPO PMI Committee; Chair, Historic Preservation Task Force; Children’s Licensing Board; Chair, Health and Human Services Coordinating Council; Chair, Health and Behavioral Health Leadership Network, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
Previous: Chair, Pinellas County Commission, 2003; Chair, Tourist Development Council, 2003; Chair, U.S. 19 Task Force, 2000-2001; Chair, MPO U.S. 19 Pedestrian Safety Task Force; Chair, Pinellas Assembly, 2003-2004; Chair, Pinellas by Design. 2003-2005; Pinellas Planning Council, 1996-2000, as a City of Clearwater Commissioner and a County Commissioner.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Moffitt Cancer Center Pinellas Partners Steering Committee, 2007 to present; Junior Achievement, 2006 to present; Florida Blood Services, 2006 to present; Morton Plant Mease Health Care, Community Affairs Committee, 2002 to present; Leadership Pinellas Board of Directors, 2005 to present; YMCA of the Suncoast Florida on the Move in Clearwater Community Board, 2005 to present; Partners N Progress for the Arts, Inc. for the Largo Cultural Center, 2003 to 2006; United Way Tampa Bay, 2003 to 2005; Upper Pinellas Association for Retarded Citizens Foundation (UPARC) - 1998 to 2003; Community Pride Child Care - 1993 to 2000; Performing Arts Center (PAC) Foundation - 1996 to 2000; Clearwater Homeless Intervention Project (CHIP) - 1999 to 2001; Gateway Children’s Shelter - 1991 to 1997, Leadership Pinellas -1993 to 1994; Florida West Ballet - 1993; Girl’s, Inc.- 1991; Susan G. Komen Tampa Bay Foundation, 2000; 211 Tampa Bay Cares, 2000 to 2003, Past President; Friends of Weedon Island; Religious Community Services, 2001 to 2003, Largo Chamber of Commerce, 2002 to 2003

BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Junior Achievement of West Central Florida, 2002-2006; YWCA of Tampa Bay - 1997 to 2003, Chairman, 1999.

PAST COMMUNITY PROJECTS: Sunshine Playground at the Long Center, David Mason Children’s Art Museum at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, Gateway Children’s Center at Community Pride Child Care Center, Education Grants for the Public Schools, Tampa Bay Harvest and a Foster Care Recruitment and Parental program.

FUNDRAISERS: Upper Pinellas Association for Retarded Citizens (UPARC) Omelette Committee - 1996 to present, 2005 Co-Chair; Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, 1999-2001; American Heart Association Walk, 1999 and 2002; American Cancer Society - Co-Chairman 1995 Luncheon with the largest profit in 31 years; David Mason Children’s Art Museum Steering Committee/Dunedin Fine Arts Center - 1993-1997; Teddy Bear Picnic for Family Service Center - 1994-1995

SCHOOL VOLUNTEER:Leila Davis Elementary PTA - 1st Vice President - 1994 - 1995; Leila Davis Elementary - Classroom Assistance - 1993 to 1997; Safety Harbor Middle School Doorways Mentor - 1998-1999, North Ward Elementary mentor – 2000-2002; Junior Achievement mentor, 2002.

CIVIC:Association of Junior Leagues International - Nominating Board - 1995 to 1997; Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin: President - 1992 - 1993; Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation Volunteer; Leadership Pinellas Class of 1991; Leadership St. Petersburg Class of 1999; City of Clearwater Charter Review Committee - 1994; Suncoast Tiger Bay, 1998 to present.

Personal  

KAREN WILLIAMS SEEL
PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Karen Williams Seel was appointed to the Pinellas County Commission by Governor Bush in January 1999. She has since been reelected in 2000 and 2004.  Prior to this, she served as a Clearwater City Commissioner from 1996 to 1999.  Her father, the late Don Williams, served as a Clearwater City Commissioner from 1967 to 1975.  Karen is proud to follow in a family tradition of public service.

Karen was born and raised in Clearwater.  She left for eight years to live, study and work in Gainesville, Florida; Oxford, England; Phoenix, Arizona; Guadalajara, Mexico; Houston, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.  Returning to Clearwater in 1984, she moved to the Countryside area of Clearwater in 1992.

In an official capacity, Karen served as 2003 Chairman of the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners and the Tourist Development Council.  She currently serves on the Health and Human Services Coordinating Council and the Health and Behavioral Health Leadership Network as Chair, Tampa Bay Partnership Board of Directors, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.  Within our community, Karen has served on the UPARC Foundation Board of Directors, the YWCA Board of Trustees, Religious Community Services, the United Way Board of Directors, Friends of Weedon Island and Brooker Creek Preserves, the Greater Largo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and 211 Tampa Bay Cares.  She continues to serve on the Moffitt Cancer Center Pinellas Partners Steering Committee, the Morton Plant/Mease Community Affairs Board, the Omelette Party Committee, a major fundraiser for UPARC and Leadership Pinellas Board of Directors.  Karen has been instrumental towards looking to our future and bringing our cities and county together.  She has Chaired the U.S. 19 Task Force, the Pinellas Assembly and the Pinellas by Design and the U.S. 19 Pedestrian Safety Task Force.

Karen is a past president of the Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin and has also been instrumental in community projects such as the Sunshine Playground at the Long Center in Clearwater, David Mason’s Children’s Art Museum at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, Gateway Children’s Shelter at Community Pride Day Care, Education Grants for the public schools, Tampa Bay Harvest and a Foster Care Recruitment and Parental program.

Karen is married to Ron Seel for 25 years and has two boys, Brian - 24 and Scott - 19.  Her hobbies include rollerblading, jogging, reading and traveling.  She holds a MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BSBA in Marketing from the University of Florida.

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