Karen Linehan Mroz
President
Middle East Children's Institute (MECI)

Karen Linehan Mroz joined MECI in early 2008 with a passion for and experience in philanthropic programs focusing on the Middle East, children’s education and women’s issues. Karen spends nearly a quarter of the year in the Middle East supporting MECI’s mission to address the educational psychosocial health and other basic humanitarian needs of Middle Eastern children and women in both war–torn and impoverished areas (www.mecinstitute.org).

She was the founding Executive Director of the Friends of UNRWA Association; the first USA non–profit created to raise public awareness and funds for Palestine refugees supporting the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). She traveled extensively throughout the camps meeting with refugees and touring UNRWA operations in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Karen has a strong background in the private sector and philanthropic organizations. She was a program officer responsible for strategic events and communications with The Goldman Sachs Foundation. At the Foundation, she was responsible for the development of the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program (GSGLP) and the annual GSGLP University. She joined the Institute of International Education continuing to develop the strategic programs for the Global Leaders Program. Karen developed her own business delivering executive training in Fortune 500 companies. She served as an elected member of a Massachusetts board of education with a special focus on creating unique programs for special education. She is an experienced public speaker who incorporates a passion for photography into her presentations to personalize and illustrate the most urgent needs of children and women in the Middle East.

Karen is the mother of three tremendous young adults and considers this her greatest accomplishment.

Due to a family emergency, Karen Mroz was not able to present. However, she participated via Skype in an afternoon breakout session at the conference. Here is a portion of her comments.