Consultant

Karen Salem is passionate about Education, College Admissions, and Technology. Over the course of her career, she worked at five different colleges and universities, including The Citadel, College of Charleston, and Charleston Southern University. Over the past decade, she played a key role in modernizing the admissions process, moving colleges from paper submission to a completely paperless student portal. This experience gives Karen a unique understanding and allows her to communicate effectively across the generations.

In recent years, Karen was hired by Blackbaud — a Charleston-based cloud computing provider – to support the launch of a new software product designed for small colleges. As a Technical Solutions Engineer and Subject Matter Expert for the higher education team, her efforts generated $4M in just two years. Prior to Blackbaud, Karen served as Director of Admissions for College of Charleston’s nationally ranked MBA Program. She evaluated applications, interviewed applicants, and ultimately made all admission decisions. This career path began many years ago at The University of Alabama, where Karen worked at the Manderson Graduate School of Business and earned a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration (Roll Tide).

On a personal note, Karen and her husband Tom are celebrating 27 years of marriage! She is the proud mom of a Citadel grad, a USC senior, and a Clemson freshman. Her three children (as well as several nieces, nephews, neighbors, and friends) received extensive admissions counseling, scholarship recommendations, and FAFSA guidance throughout the college years. Karen enjoys mentoring young adults and watching them soar! She is also active in her church, leading a women’s small group and serving alongside her husband in a well-known marriage ministry.