Karen Wilkins-Mickey (she/her) joined the Seahawks in January 2021 and brings over 20 years of Diversity Equity and Inclusion leadership experience to the team. In her role, Karen leads the Seahawks' overall Inclusion strategy, and acts as a liaison for the team, its senior management group, players, and the community to drive strategic initiatives and programs. She also oversees the team's six internal Employee Resource Groups, represents the team for NFL social justice initiatives, and acts as an internal consultant to department leaders across the team's football and business operations to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion are part of the decision-making process throughout the organization. Prior to the Seahawks, Karen was Director of Diversity & Inclusion for Alaska Airlines and has previously held diversity and inclusion leadership roles within Expedia Group and Microsoft. She is an alumnus of the first McKinsey Black Executive Leadership Program and is a founding member of the Diversity Community of Practice, which is a growing network of professionals committed to establishing and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within Seattle-area organizations.  She is on the Board of Special Olympics of Washington and the NW African American Museum. She was honored in 2018 by the Seattle Mariners as part of African American Heritage Day, where she was recognized for her contributions to the Northwest community. She is also a Certified Diversity Recruiter and earned a certification in Diversity Equity and Inclusion through E-Cornell. In 2023, she was featured on the cover of CIO Views Magazine "Most Influential Women in Diversity & Inclusion" issue. A native of New York City, Karen has a bachelor's degree in communications from California State University Chico. She lives in Bothell, Wash. with her husband Korey and has two children in college, Kyra, and Kaden.
