State Representative Karen Middleton 2010 Colorado Faculty Member

State Representative Karen Middleton represents West Central Aurora.   Karen holds a leadership position as the Majority Caucus Chair and serves on the House Education, Business Affairs and Labor Committee.  Previously, Karen served on the State Board of Education from November 2004 –February 2008.

Karen has extensive professional experience in K-12 and higher education.  She teaches political science at the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Aurora.  Previously, she  worked for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), the Center for Internet Technology in Education at eCollege, and as Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. While at WICHE, she was instrumental in establishing the North American Council for On-Line Learning, an international association of online K-12 schools.

Karen received a 2007 “Colorado’s Movers and Shakers Award” from The Colorado Statesman.  This is her second year with the Center for Progressive Leadership, and Karen also serves as a trainer for the White House Project, a program that trains women seeking elected office. She is a member of the Colorado Institute for Leadership Training Class of 2000.

Karen holds a B.A. degree from Mount Holyoke College, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Denver, and an MA in Higher Education Organization and Governance at the University of Denver.  She is married to Larry Beer.  Karen has two stepdaughters, Molly (15) and Katie (12), and daughter, Zoe Grace Middleton, 18 months.