Karen brings deep knowledge, demonstrated operational expertise, and non-partisan insight into the political and regulatory arenas. She has served in top leadership, board, and executive roles in both governmental and non-governmental organizations across many highly regulated industries. She discreetly assists both private and public companies navigate complex domestic and global compliance, governance, multicultural, human resource utilization, and regulatory/legislative challenges. General Counsel and Vice President of Access and Inclusion for Incendio International, Inc. A nationally recognized civil rights advocate, she also serves as a San Francisco Human Rights Commissioner.

She has had a career of many historic “firsts” as an African American woman, challenging leadership roles, and bi-partisan political appointments across three decades and several diverse administrations, including serving as the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the California Public Utilities Commission for nine years; General Counsel for the Department of Corporations, a gubernatorial appointment; and two-term President of the League of Women Voters of San Francisco. An active and proud cum laude graduate of Vassar College; Antioch School of Law, (now an HBCU University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law), Washington, D.C., and a Maguire Fellow in international and comparative labor-management studies, she is an accomplished speaker, author, and lecturer.

Commissioner Clopton joined the League of Women Voters San Francisco Chapter in 1991 to become a moderator for televised debates on local ballot measures. In 2007, the League’s first African American President, Karen Clopton, resurrected the concept of the Women Who Could Be President Awards, which reduced costs and increased revenue for LWVSF. In 2011, the League’s gala reception and fundraiser were dedicated to educating the San Francisco Bay Area about the importance of the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage and to generate much-needed funds for the League’s voter education programs. League members, including President Clopton, provided lectures at local universities, articles in local papers and law reviews, and several centennial events throughout the year about women’s suffrage. As Immediate Past President, she continued to shepherd the Women Who Could Be President Awards Gala Reception each year, which generated the revenue to fund a paid staffer as well as the Pros and Cons Guides and translations into Chinese and Spanish.