Douglas County welcomes new Commissioner

Karen Willey was elected August 28 by the Douglas County Democratic precinct committee to represent the Third District as a County Commissioner. 

Karen moved to Lawrence in 1993 to be the third generation of her family to attend the University of Kansas where she earned a BA in Environmental Studies and a PhD in Geography. As an entrepreneur, Karen has created and led a variety of successful businesses including an engineering and manufacturing business, Bluestem Machine Works, Inc., with her husband and business partner, Scott Eudaly.

During the past 29 years, Karen has served as a volunteer on more than a dozen community boards including the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission. She currently serves on the Legal Redress Committee of the Lawrence NAACP, as president of BRAC, a housing nonprofit, and is nearing 10 years as a volunteer firefighter.

Leveraging her nonprofit experience, Karen now works as a consultant and grant writer for urban health, housing and human services nonprofits for clients in urban Kansas City. She also runs a cattle farm in southern Douglas County. Karen is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Lawrence and has a passion for Douglas County landscapes, people and history.