Karen has been a central figure in the rise of the U.S. Backgammon Federation — many say the central figure. She has served on the USBGF Board since its inception in 2009. She was Board Chair from 2010 to 2017, and she was the Federation’s President and Executive Director from 2017 to 2020. She has been a driving force for PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine since its publication began in 2010. She has tirelessly promoted the game through successful fund-raising and engagement with tournament directors. She is the President and Executive Director of the U.S. Backgammon Foundation.
She is a stellar tournament organizer, regularly running two big and successful events: the Cherry Blossom championships in D.C. and the Sunny Florida tournament in Fort Lauderdale. She was an early adopter of online tournament technology during the pandemic and helped demonstrate not only the viability but the great potential of online tournaments.
Besides her prodigious contributions to growing the game of backgammon, she is also a fine player with four decades of experience. She has represented the U.S. in the World Backgammon Federation Team Championship, as well as the Magriel Cup and Genud Cup challenge matches between the U.S. and the U.K.
NOTABLE AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Member of Team USA in World Team Championship in Montenegro in 2019; Member of Team USA in the 2020 Magriel Cup competition against the UK; and Captain and Most Valuable US Player, Women’s Team USA in the 2020 Genud Cup competition against the UK women’s team.
- Organizer of the highly acclaimed Cherry Blossom Backgammon Championship in Washington, DC, 2017-2021; and of the Sunny Florida Backgammon Championship in Fort Lauderdale, FL,2018-2021. Director, Sunny Florida Backgammon Club; Founder, DC Metro Club; Host, Ohio-Michigan Team Challenge.
- Winner, NY Metropolitan Open Super Jackpot, 2019.
- Backgammon Masters Awarding Body (BMAB), Master; ranks #2 in USBGF Lifetime Online Master Points.