Dr. Karen Cheser

Karen Cheser, Ed.D., the 2025 CoSN/AASA EmpowerEd Digital Superintendent of the Year, is Superintendent of the Durango School District in Durango, CO and was previously superintendent of Fort Thomas Independent Schools and Deputy Superintendent/ CAO of Boone County Schools, both in KY. Prior to working in education as a teacher, coach, literacy and math specialist, principal, Distinguished Educator and district administrator, Karen worked for Procter & Gamble Inc. in sales management. Karen has been instrumental in bringing innovation, student agency, and a focus on future workforce to SW Colorado and Northern KY through such projects as the Impact Career Innovation Center, NKY MakerSpace, Ignite Institute, Launch@20 Grand, LEGO League Robotics and the NKY Entrepreneurship Council. Karen served as national Vice-Chair of EdLeader21, is a member of the CoSN National Superintendents’ Panel and SEEC (Superintendents’ Sustainability Education Council), and was Board Chair of the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative,President of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Leadership NKY Council, GROW NKY Pillar 2 Lead, and served on the NKY Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative Advisory Council, Greater Cincinnati Service Learning Executive Committee, and NKU’s Community Engagement Board. Karen is a 2025 Fulbright Leader for Global Schools. 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winner (by the NKY Chamber of Commerce and NKY Ed Council), NKY Chamber Community Award recipient, 2019 Ruth A. Eger Leader of Distinction, was the 2016 Toyota/ Storer Business Collaboration Award winner, a 2015 AASA National Woman Administrator of the Year Award finalist, Vision 2015 Champion of Education, a 2015 Outstanding Woman of NKY, KY District Administrator of the Year (2013), and A.D. Albright Outstanding Administrator (NKY Chamber of Commerce, 2009). Karen earned an Ed.D. (Educational Leadership and Business Informatics) from NKU, (with B.A., M.Ed. degrees, and other coursework from WKU, NKU, and UK) and has presented at numerous conferences, on topics such as designing innovation, strategic planning, process improvement, student empowerment, global competency, 21st century skills, dispositional hiring and leading higher academic standards. Karen is mom to two college-aged sons, wife to an entrepreneur/ woodworker, loves to travel, and coaches robotics in her spare time.