Karen Pallansch

Karen Pallansch is a member of the 2012-2013 Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Karen currently serves as CEO for Alexandria Renew Enterprises, previously known as the Alexandria Sanitation Authority.  She has served as CEO for seven years, leading a rebranding effort that incorporates a successful a public – developer partnership that will create a neighborhood from an industrial area that served as an unregulated landfill for the City.  This site will also be the test market for the company’s Alexandria blurenew reclaimed water product.  Prior to her work with Alexandria Renew, Karen worked for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality as a Senior Engineer and as a General Engineer with the Department of the Army, charged with rehabilitation army ammunition bases and managing associated ammunition research projects. 

A WEF member since 1994, Karen has held multiple leadership and committee roles within the Federation. She has served on the Utility Management Committee, the Public Communications Committee and the Utility Management Conference for many years, chairing both the Utility Management Conference Committee and the Facilities Subcommittee in Utility Management.  As a member of the Government Affairs Committee, she led the Legislative Policy Subcommittee. 

Also an active member of the Virginia Water Environment Association, Karen has chaired several committees including Strategic Planning, Public Relations, and Annual meeting, before moving through the chairs and serving as President.  

Her other professional affiliations include serving on the National Association of Clean Water Agencies’ Board of Directors and as an officer in the role of Treasurer as well as Chair of the Virginia Municipal League Insurance Pool. She was previously chair of the Water Environment Research Foundation Research Council and served as an ex officio member of that Board.

Karen is a registered professional engineer in the state of Virginia, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, Licensed Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator – Virginia Class I, and is a Diplomate with the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. She received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, and an M.S. in Business Management from East Texas State University.