Faces of Wilton: Karen Strickland

Described by one of her peers as "passionate about our community" and "always eager to lend a hand in making our town such a great place to live and work," Karen Strickland, director of development and marketing for the Wilton Y, has dedicated the last 25 years of her career to the organization that embraced her and her family when they first arrived in town. 

"Previously, I was living in New York City and working as an account manager at an ad agency, she told Patch. "When we moved to Connecticut and my daughter was born, I got her involved in swim and gymnastic lessons [at the Y] and then I started volunteering there. I joined a few committees and then became membership director...I never expected that I would be working at the Y for 25 years, but I just really like the culture and people here."

As the director of development, Strickland has played a large role in forming partnerships and collaborations with other non-profit organizations, which Strickland said she finds very rewarding. 

"You you can always do more when you're working together. For me, it's really been about taking the business skills that I acquired in my corporate job and offering it to the community," she said. 

In addition to her work at the Y, Strickland has also served as president of the Wilton Rotary Club, which allows her to work even more closely with the community. 

"We raise money to donate back to charitable causes, we do a lot of with social services to help senior citizens and we contribute money to the food pantry," she said. "But we also have a strong international focus—some of our members are involved in [global] humanitarian projects and we've even hosted an exchange student from Ecuador."

When asked what advice she would give to college graduates seeking a career in the non-profit sector, Strickland said that they should expect a rewarding experience. 

"The compensation, of course, isn't the same as in the private industry, but what you get out of it is a lot greater," she said. "We have a very young staff [at the Y]—so many of them start out as camp counselors. They learn about honesty, respect and responsibility. It's a great training ground for so many different types of careers."

While Strickland's dedication to the Wilton Y hasn't changed over the last 25 years, the town itself has. And they have all been for the better, according to Strickland. 

"There's more diversity and growth in the business section of town—when I first moved here, Wilton Center didn't even really exist," she said. "First Selectman Bill Brennan has brought a lot of beautification to the downtown area and there are amenities for residents that hadn't been there before." 

Strickland added that she's really proud that the town has been able to maintain its small town flavor. 

"There's a lot of civic pride here—I think people really care a lot about the whole ambiance of the town," she said. "We're not too commercial and most want to keep it that way."