Karen Gomba, our Director of Operations

Karen grew up in the Binghamton, New York area, the oldest of three children. Her parents were both IBM’ers. Her Dad was a mechanical engineer and her mom was a secretary. Her family was first Methodists, then Presbyterians.

She attended the University of Rochester, majoring in chemical engineering, and met her future husband, George, there. He was raised a Byzantine Catholic, and Karen began attending that church with him.

Upon her graduation in 1982, she became a third generation IBM’er when she was hired to join the East Fishkill plant as a Quality Engineer. In 1984, Karen and George were married with a Catholic mass in her Presbyterian church. Karen continued working for IBM for 11 years, and during that period their son, Ryan, was born. Also, during that time she received an MS degree in Statistics and Operational Research and moved into Industrial Engineering.

She then acquired a job as a manufacturing engineer with Lorad, a company that manufactures mammography equipment, and she stayed with them for 5 years. She became a manager here. During this time, their daughter, Claire, was born.

She’s been a full-time mom since 1998, but she has also found time to volunteer with Junior League of Poughkeepsie, the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum and the PTA. She found HRC in 2002, and this is now her church.

She responded to HRC’s search for a Director of Operations and was hired. The Search Committee felt that her ability to work with volunteers would be useful. She says her job is working “behind the scenes to run and improve the church’s infrastructure”, and “decision-making”. She welcomes any ideas and questions and looks forward to this new stage in her (and the church’s) life!