Inaugural Women in Leadership Award

INAUGURAL WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTED TO KAREN SCHAEFFER

The Academy of the Holy Cross inaugurated the Sister M. Madeleva (Wolff), CSC Women in Leadership Award in May with the presentation of the award to Karen Schaeffer. The award will be given annually to a woman of Holy Cross— either an alumna or friend of the Academy. The presentation took place at a special event at the Manor at Silo Falls in Brookeville, MD. During the same event, the inaugural Distinguished Tartan award was presented to Raquel Bowman ’22, Cheyenne DeGross ’22, Emilia Moberg ’22, and Megan Steele ’22.

Karen Shaeffer has supported the school as an alumnae parent, Board of Trustees chair and member, generous donor, and dedicated friend. She is currently the co-chair of the #EmpoweredGirls Capital Campaign along with her husband Rick Shaeffer and David Metzger. In her more than 20 years of support of Holy Cross, Karen has generously shared her many talents with the community while also being a leader in her profession.

Karen is the Managing Member and Co-founder of Schaeffer Financial LLC, a financial consulting firm in suburban Washington, D.C. She is a popular lecturer, seminar leader and college instructor. She has numerous publishing credits, co-authored a book, and appeared on radio and television programs. She is a role-model and a mentor in a field severely underrepresented by women.

Karen and Rick have two Holy Cross alumnae daughters Kaitlin Schaeffer Yardley ’99 and Megan Schaeffer ’01 and an alumna niece Madison Kelly ’17.

President Katy Prebble with Karen Schaeffer