August 21, 2017 brought a total eclipse of the sun to Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Karen Baker—director of the Museum of Idaho—was front and center. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for her and her community, and she shares the awe of experiencing “Totality” for the very first time. Karen E. Baker loves taking visions and bringing them to life through sound strategy development. Currently, she is applying her 30+ years of diverse leadership experience in the corporate and non-profit worlds as the Executive Director of the Museum of Idaho here in Idaho Falls. A self-professed museum nerd, she sees her primary role as driving thoughtful collaboration and pulling diverse threads of opportunity into a coherent whole.

In addition to her work at the museum, Karen serves on the Board of Directors for the Idaho Nonprofit Center and the Idaho Falls Historic Downtown Foundation. She has also served on several other boards in Colorado and Washington. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and painting. She lives in Idaho Falls with her husband and two dogs. Her 3 adult children are perusing their passions and making their own marks on the world.

Karen holds a BS in Economics and Finance from the University of Colorado with graduate work in Leadership.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx