Karen Waters

Karen Waters is a Partner at Strategies 360 with more than 30 years of experience leading integrated public affairs, government relations, and communications strategies. She advises clients across education and workforce development initiatives, guiding complex efforts that require coordinated advocacy, coalition building, and stakeholder engagement. 

Karen’s experience spans bonds and levies, legislative advocacy at the state and federal levels, grassroots mobilization, and comprehensive communications planning. A passionate advocate for child welfare and public education, Karen was instrumental in the creation of the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families to better serve the state’s most vulnerable young people.  

In her career, Karen has served as deputy state director for Sen. Patty Murray, where she oversaw outreach with constituents and helped develop legislative responses, appropriations requests and grant support for Washington communities. During the Clinton administration, she worked as a member of the White House advance team on trips by officials to the Pacific Northwest. 

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Karen holds a master’s degree in educational policy analysis from Stanford University, a B.A. in sociology from William Smith College, and a Certificate of Change Management from Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business.