Kari brings a depth of experience to her role overseeing the operations of Touchmark communities in Bismarck and Fargo, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Appleton, Wisconsin; Edmond, Oklahoma; and Portland, Oregon.
Prior to this position, she served as Executive Director for Touchmark at Harwood Groves in Fargo since 2009 and was responsible for all aspects of the full-service retirement community, including apartment and cottage homes, independent and assisted living services, early memory support, and memory care. She also led the Touchmark Health & Fitness Club, which is open to anyone 50 years and older.
Previously, Kari held several executive and administrative positions with the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society in Washington and North Dakota. There, she was responsible for skilled nursing and assisted living as well as marketing, resource development, compliance, human resources, and other areas.
Kari earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary and graduated summa cum laude from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration and Gerontology.
Active in the community, Kari has served two terms on the board of the North Dakota Long-Term Care Association. For years, she has been involved with the Health Services Administration program at Minnesota State University Moorhead, including teaching and serving on the MSUM Community of Interest/Advisory Board for the Health Services Administration Department. Based on her effective and inspiring contributions, many interns from this program have decided to do their internships at Touchmark. She also has actively volunteered in both elementary and high school classrooms.
In 2019, she was recognized as a top leader in the field of long-term care and senior care as a Rising Star in the inaugural nationwide class for McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards.
Kari and her husband Eric have three daughters and a son. Away from work, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
