Nexus’ newest staff member, Karen Law, joined the team a little over a month ago as the new Director of Human Resources and Organizational Culture. In her role, she oversees all aspects of Human Resources and intentionally stewards an environment of continuous learning where staff feels energized and valued. Her work at Nexus builds upon more than 27 years working in the nonprofit sector and addressing systemic oppression and injustice. Learn more about how she approaches her job and the values she carries to the role.
Wellness and Culture
“Wellness and culture are not separate,” Karen shares, “usually they are put in separate boxes, but they are interrelated and both core components of the work.” Most of her experience with wellness in the workplace has been in the non-profit sector, though she points out that she also once worked for an airline. Through these different experiences, she has seen glimpses of what wellness looks like, and more importantly, opportunities to push and expand what wellness could look like. To Karen, “wellness [and culture] are joy and mindfulness in the workplace, feeling respected and valued…[they are the] environment, physical space, your team, benefits, outings and more.”
Ongoing Reflection
Karen is always thinking, “How can we continue to reflect, look, and ask why? Why do we do things the way we do?” Her sharp eye brings her down to the details: safety, adherence to law, policies. Her visionary nature, though, draws her up to the overarching questions: how do these policies affect the people who work here, how can we be a leader in workplace practices, how do we support the broader movement for labor and economic justice? In her role, Karen aims to “lift and enhance,” not to “replicate and recreate.”
Self-care and Boundaries
Part of what drew Karen to Nexus is the organization’s intentionality around culture and wellness—“if employees are encouraged to care for themselves, this is an opportunity for me to reflect and grow, to put myself first and explore what good boundaries might look like.” With this renewed commitment to mind, body, and spirit, and a workplace that encourages it, Karen is dedicating time to co-writing a screenplay 15 years in the making.
Areas of Excitement
Karen is energized and excited to learn from all the staff working at Nexus. Because there is a mix of people with varied experience, there are many opportunities to learn and see how people do work. She wants to “learn again [and] learn a lot, [instead] of just doing.” After spending some time on her own as an entrepreneur, she also looks forward to doing work “in community with a team of folks.”
When she isn’t at work or writing a screenplay, she enjoys beautifying her yard, watching volleyball, and spending time with family.