American Viticultural Area (AVA) Program Manager

Karen has worked on AVA issues since 2012. As the AVA program manager, she reviews all AVA petitions submitted to TTB and determines whether they meet the requirements for proceeding to rulemaking. She also drafts the related rulemaking documents for approved petitions and provides guidance to anyone wanting to submit an AVA petition.

Karen started her federal career at the Office of the Federal Register. She later gained regulations writing experience at the Federal Aviation Administration. She holds a BA in International Relations from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, and a MA in Communications Studies from Texas Tech in Lubbock.