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President, Conservative Leaders for Education

Karen Nussle serves as president of Conservative Leaders for Education (CL4E), a network of state and local education policy makers, chaired by former Education Secretary William J. Bennett, dedicated to implementing conservative and innovative education policy at the local level and devoted to helping parents and teachers provide the best possible education for every child. Karen most recently served as the executive director of the Collaborative for Student Success, an organization dedicated to advocacy for the implementation of high academic standards and aligned assessments. A veteran communications strategist with experience in the private, public, political and non-profit sectors, Karen’s work has included running high profile national advocacy campaigns, advising CEOs and national boards, and founding and running her own successful marketing firm. In 2005, Karen started Ripple Communications, a boutique marketing and communications firm, and since has advised numerous clients on strategies for organizational success. She has held senior positions at the global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller and its subsidiary government relations firm Prime Policy Group. Karen began her career with a successful stint in politics. She worked for Newt Gingrich when he was House Minority Whip and made the historic move to The Speaker’s Office in 1994. She served in a variety of roles in The Speaker’s Office, but most notably was the staff assigned to generating greater exposure for the Republican women serving in the House. Karen received both her bachelor's and master’s degrees in communications from the University of Maryland. She lives with her husband Jim in Alexandria, Virginia. She is a Fellow of the 20th class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.