Karen A. Herrera is a retired local government professional with over 35 years of service, most recently serving as Deputy City Manager and Public Information Officer for the City of Duarte. Since her retirement in 2020, Ms. Herrera has operated her own consulting firm serving such diverse clients as the West San Gabriel Valley Board of Realtors, Arellano Associates, and Bob Hall and Associates.
Her forward-thinking, “can do” attitude has enabled her to hold a variety of executive positions during a career that spanned five different cities including Bell Gardens Assistant City Manager, Duarte Deputy City Manager, Hawaiian Gardens Administrative Services Director, and Orange Senior Assistant to the City Manager. Her in-depth knowledge of government and vast professional network has also facilitated the accomplishment of countless “out of the box” projects during her career including generating over $1,000,000 in community grants, implementing eco-friendly brush clearance programs to minimize wildfires, launching and maintaining City websites and social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Hootsuite, constant contact, etc. and handling crisis communications/media relations for life-threatening situations including wildfires, mudslides, and gang violence. She has also specialized in capital project management for an array of municipalities including two City Hall remodels, the first “bioswale” project in the San Gabriel Valley designed to clean stormwater run-off, the building of the first custom concrete freeway sound wall mural in Los Angeles County, establishing a permanent home for local day laborers seeking employment and support services, and creating a centralized location for a homeless food program.
Outside of her professional realm, Karen is humbled to serve on several boards that focus on furthering the Public Administration profession and helping families in crisis. Currently, she serves as Vice Chair for the USC City/County Management Fellowship Board serving the Sol Price School of Public Policy, and as Vice Chair of the Foothill Unity Center Board of Directors. Her volunteerism for the community allowed her the honor of receiving the “2018 Woman of the Year Award” for outstanding community service from Assemblymember Blanca Rubio. A native of the San Gabriel Valley, Herrera was born in Pasadena and raised in Monrovia, California. She attended both CSU Fullerton and Long Beach to earn her respective degrees: a B.A. in Communications and M.P.A. in Public Policy and Administration.