Karen Nemsick, Director, Housing Justice Initiative
United Way Bay Area

Karen is passionate about leading collaborative efforts to create meaningful change in communities. As the Director, Housing Justice Initiative at the United Way Bay Area, she is working to deepen UWBA’s focus on improving accessible, affordable housing and homelessness prevention resources in Bay Area counties.   

Prior to this fellowship, Karen served 10 years as the executive director for Rebuilding Together San Francisco where she was responsible for attracting key corporate sponsors, creating engaging fundraising events, developing new programs, and managing budget and staffing needs for high impact home and community improvements. While at Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Karen also served as a National Affiliate Council representative from November 2013 to November 2019, serving as Chair in 2019. Karen has attended the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government: Executive Education, Achieving Excellence in Community Development program. She holds a Master of Social Work from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross. She currently on the boards of directors for Rebuilding Together Inc. and Success Centers San Francisco.