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• 1 media/Karen Stokes.jpg media/1a6a72798d647f957795b65a52fb4400.jpg media/david-everett-strickler-CsM2aQOGEVs-unsplash.jpg 2020-09-29T15:43:13-07:00 Karen Stokes 21 Founder of L.A. as Subject, Getty Research Institute image_header 2021-04-30T12:07:52-07:00 Karen Stokes has been a professional in the non-profit environment for over 40 years, beginning in 1977 when she secured her first "professional" position with the Los Angeles Council of Campfire as an Area Program Director for a CETA program. Over the years she has held thought-provoking planning and development positions with diverse types of non-profit organizations, including a: Community Development Corporation (CDC), Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC); National Charitable Organization, United Way, Inc. of Los Angeles; and, Cultural Institution, Getty Research Institute, a constituent program of the J. Paul Getty Trust, from which she retired in 2017, a few months shy of 25 years.
  
  Karen was an extremely active volunteer for many years. One of her favored affiliations was serving as a volunteer trainer with the United Way Kellogg Training Center for over 12 years, providing training to non-profit organizations in board and volunteer development, strategic planning, diversity management and organizational development. Among her accomplishments, Karen considers her creation of/and collaboration with the LA as Subject project and Advisory Forum, and their successful transfer to USC, among her most important achievements while at the Getty Research Institute (GRI).
  
  Other achievement highlights include: curating over 25 public programs and lectures, (1992-1995), and managing the development and implementation of an average 21 lectures, symposia, workshops, and conferences per year, in collaboration with staff and scholars, as part of GRI's Comparative and Collaborative Research (2002-2009); and, her development work that successfully continued and significantly expanded GRI's fund development capacity, originally initiated by Dr. Susan Allen, to solicit grants from public and private sources for the purpose of providing greater public access to Getty collection resources through multiple program strategies. Karen studied philosophy and holds a degree in business and management. During retirement, she continues to be active within select community, political, and professional projects and is enjoying spending quality time with family. 

  Hello,
  In 1994 I created LA as Subject, on behalf of the Getty Research Institute. In this interview for the USC Libraries, LA as Subject Archives Bazaar, you will see that my speech has been affected by an essential tremor in my voice. I call it my Katharine Hepburn voice and continue to share my thoughts when invited, or when I am simply inspired to speak. I hope that you will look beyond how I may sound, to hear what is shared.
  My best & please stay safe,
  
  Karen L. Stokes

  
  Transcript of Interview with Karen Stokes