Karen B. Filipponi is the Chief Component Human Capital Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In this role she leads the agency human resources in areas including recruitment and staffing, position classification, pay, employee benefits, performance management, talent acquisition, employee and labor relations, and accountability. She is a strong advocate of streamlining procedures to provide outstanding service to FEMA program offices.
Prior to joining FEMA, Ms. Filipponi served as the Chief Human Capital Officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Deputy Director, and Acting CHCO, at the Departmental Office of Human Resource Management at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). She also served as the Director of Human Resources at the Peace Corps and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. At these agencies, she was recognized for driving change to include being honored from both agencies’ highest Director’s Award. Ms. Filipponi also served as an Auditor, and later as the Human Resources Director, at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Beginning her career at the Government Accountability Office, Ms. Filipponi worked in various disciplines, including human resources. During her career, she also owned and operated two full-service florists. Her accomplishments in these prior positions include executing organizational change across disciplines by focusing on innovative cost-effective solutions to increase productivity and accountability.
Ms. Filipponi possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, with Minors in Human Resources and Marketing. She also received an Executive Leadership Certificate from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and attended both the Federal Executive Institute and the Treasury Executive Institute.
Ms. Filipponi is a member of the Federal Executive Institute Alumni Association, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Alumni Association. Originally from Michigan, she currently resides in Virginia with her husband and children.