Karina Tipton CE’99 Running for: Secretary Treasurer Montgomery, NY Principal Engineer, Brown and Caldwell

Professional Qualification:

I am an environmental engineer and project manager engaged on hazardous waste and remediation sites; In the 10 years I’ve participated with the CUAA Alumni, I have been elected council member for 3 terms. I have held the following roles: appointed Chair of the Editorial and Communications Committees, elected chair of Nominating Committee. I worked with Friends of Cooper Union to engage the community in a series of community collaboration meetings with break-out sessions that informed the development and content of The Way Forward. I was also awarded Young Alumnus of the Year in 2011.

Relevant Skills:

For the position of Secretary/Treasurer, the following are some of my relevant skills: Community engagement. Consensus building. Non-violent communication strategies. Planning and stakeholder engagement. Scheduling and project management. Delivery of required project materials on time. Development of process-based workflows that support achievement of long-term objectives.

Personal Statement:

The CUAA has been reacting to crises for many years, and our execution of required responsibilities within our organization has become muddied. I want to make sure we have systems in place so the CUAA can be agile and supportive of the efforts to reestablish free education. To be honest: I’ve been involved with the alumni association for a long time and have felt increasingly disconnected over the last several years. Even though I am on council I often don’t know what is being done or negotiated on my behalf. I am running for secretary to help the alumni understand what is happening within the CUAA, and what the council is doing. I want our alumni to be knowledgeable and engaged. We are at a point of change with an opportunity to work with the Board and Administration as they meet the mandate from The State of New York to reestablish our commitment to Free Education. The alumni body can be a real and productive partner as we work to build the school back up. I want us all to be part of that.

Three Bullet Points About You:

• In general: mermaid ninja assassin. on a motorcycle. with swords, and knitting needles, and kittens.
• I’m still practicing Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do, which I initially learned from Izzy Torres while at Cooper Union. I currently hold a 3 rd Degree Black Belt.
• Passionate about sustainability and the intersection of environmental efficiencies and community engagement.