Karen Burghart has been the Executive Director of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council since 2015. Prior to her tenure as Executive Director, she served five years on the Colorado Springs World World Affairs Council Board of Directors and was elected as the Council’s first female President. Ms. Burghart’s prior professional experience includes more than a decade in land development and real estate, working for a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. She has also successfully held positions as a development executive raising funds on a regional level for nationally known nonprofit organizations. Ms. Burghart has served on the Board of several organizations and was an Athena® Leadership Award nominee in Colorado Springs in 2015. She was elected to the World Affairs Council Board of Directors in 2019 and elected to the Executive Committee in 2021. She is also a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University with a B.S. in Management of Human Resources, and a graduate of the Leadership Pikes Peak Signature Program Class of 2012.