News and notes from Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation.

Thank You, Karen!

Dec-03-2021

Employees

Today, Imagine! bids a fond farewell to Karen Kalis, who is leaving our organization after an amazing 26 years of service!

Karen began her career at Imagine! in the early 90's and has witnessed the incredible growth we achieved over three decades. We sat down with her recently to learn more about her experiences, and to find out what’s next!

Congratulations! How are you feeling about everything in your last month at Imagine!?

Thank you! I feel a huge commitment to finish everything up. I want to leave things in order and that's a tough mountain to climb. Super excited, though! I'm excited to have a schedule that allows me to pursue all of the things I want to pursue.

Your last day is December 3. Any big plans for December 4th?

My family and I will be spending several weeks in Costa Rica. A semi-retirement kickoff you could say.

Did you always work in HR at Imagine!?

HR was my field of work, but when I first started here I was the billing person in the Business Office, sharing a cubicle with Lisa Joseph. Later on, I was the executive assistant for John Taylor (previous Imagine! CEO). My first stint at Imagine! was five years long as I left in 1998 to work for BVSD as their HR Specialist. I found my way back here and worked Quality Assurance for Leslie Rothman, then jumped over to HR when a position opened up.

What is your favorite memory of engaging with a client at Imagine!?

In the 90's, things were so different, day in and day out we were hanging out with clients. We would have clients over at our house, go to the bars together, and clients were in the Imagine! building all the time. If you went to a party, clients were there. So my favorite memory is being around great people all the time. It took away the distinction of "I'm an employee and you're a client," we were just all together as one.

What is your favorite memory of engaging with a employee at Imagine!?

I met my husband! We met in 1996 and got married in 1997. I was the Executive Assistant at the time and "Dr. David" worked for Labor Source (now known as Employment Services).

What advice would you give to a new employee starting their career at Imagine!?

The professional and personal growth opportunities are greater than one might realize. Anyone who has worked here and left will tell you how special Imagine! is. In HR, I see the professional and personal growth in a lot of employees, it's a choice to take advantage of or not. When you get a group of people together for a common mission, it creates a pretty incredible workplace environment. It'd be great if we could pay more, but a side effect of that is that you end up working with people who believe in what we do.

What three words would you use to describe your career at Imagine!?

Three words??! No fair! It's not three words, but having a career at Imagine! has been a wonderful privilege, and I am immensely grateful.