Karen leads the development and coordination of policy, strategy and legislation relating to the environment, conservation and cultural heritage. She oversees the delivery of strategic programs such as protection of the Great Barrier Reef, waste management and resource recovery, and the Land Restoration Fund. She also leads policy and programs in areas such as heritage, climate change, environmental offsets, biodiversity, koala conservation and State of Environment reporting. Prior to joining government, Karen was Professor and Director of the Centre for Policy Futures at the University of Queensland.