Kara Kooken

Development Officer

Kara is responsible for cultivating SELC’s donor base in North Carolina, looking for strategic ways to increase giving, and broaden the organization’s outreach through events and personalized engagement opportunities. She enjoys getting to know environmentally conscious supporters and working with leadership donors and board members across the state. She is inspired by SELC’s commitment to protect the natural beauty of this region and ensuring clean water and air for everyone who lives here.

Kara grew up in Winston-Salem and traveled extensively before settling in Chapel Hill in 1999. She is equally drawn to the rolling hills around Hanging Rock State Park, Folly Beach, South Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains near Linville, North Carolina.

Previous experience

• B.A., Davidson College
• Former Director of Annual Giving, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and College of Arts & Sciences
• Former reporter, Houston, Texas
• With SELC since 2015