Karen Shepherd is the Executive Director of The Washington Ballet, bringing 25 years of experience in arts management and education across both non-profit and for-profit sectors. Since joining TWB in 2018, she has held several key leadership roles, including Interim Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, where she led strategic initiatives and operational oversight. As Deputy Director of Development, she focused on government, foundation, and corporate fundraising, while also spearheading community impact programming.
Before joining TWB, Karen served as Head of Maryland Campuses for Levine Music, where she managed campus operations, administrative staff, budget oversight, and educational programming for over 900 students and 100+ faculty members across two campuses. She played a crucial role in the school’s strategic planning efforts and led the expansion of Levine Music in Montgomery County, overseeing everything from contract negotiations to program development.
In the for-profit sector, Karen was a Manager in the Instrumental and Conductors Division at IMG Artists in New York. She acted as the primary liaison with presenting venues across the US and Europe, managing logistics and bookings for esteemed artists like Itzhak Perlman, the Emerson String Quartet, Sir James Galway, and Leif Ove Andsnes.
Karen currently serves on the Founder’s Auxiliary Board of Children’s National Hospital and as Vice Chair of the William & Mary Libraries Board. She has also been a frequent grant reviewer for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and previously served on the Young Fellows Board of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in Music (violin) and German, and a Certificate of Business Management from William & Mary.