The Board of Trustees and staff of Plymouth Housing are pleased to announce that Karen Lee will be our next Chief Executive Officer. Karen will begin her official duties at the end of the summer.

Previously, Karen has served as the CEO of Pioneer Human Services, and a cabinet member and agency director under Governor Christine Gregoire. She also served four years including an overseas tour in the U.S. Army, as the Director of Gas Operations at Puget Sound Energy, and early in her law career, she worked at K&L Gates.

Karen is an active member in our community. She is currently a member of the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and University of Washington Foundation boards, and she is a Corporate Director at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Northwest Natural Holdings, and Lease Crutcher Lewis. Her list of accomplishments is long and what is constant throughout her distinguished career is her commitment to serving others and making it possible for everyone to lead a life of dignity.

This announcement comes after a national search led by members of the board, staff, civic leaders, and community members. Among a field of strong and compelling candidates, Karen stood out. She says, “I am thrilled to be joining Plymouth during this time of tremendous growth and change. Plymouth’s work is unique and vital in our region, and it inspires me that we are a model to other housing organizations throughout the country and world. I am honored to build on Paul’s legacy of advocacy on behalf of Plymouth and those we serve as Plymouth’s next CEO.”

Paul Lambros will complete his final day as CEO on August 12. We are grateful for his contributions in growing Plymouth from a grass-roots organization into an innovative, nationally recognized model of permanent supportive housing.

It is difficult for many of us to imagine Plymouth without Paul. The mission and values of the organization he has helped build will remain unchanged. Plymouth will continue to provide innovative, cost-effective, and supportive care, and we will continue to move people out of homelessness, permanently. The Board is confident that Karen is a leader who will provide dynamic, compassionate, and experienced leadership as Plymouth moves into the future.

Thank you for joining us in welcoming Karen to the Plymouth community.