Interim Chief Financial Officer, Karen Sisson joined CGU on June 1, 2024 having spent 15 years in higher education including 11 years as vice president and Treasurer of Pomona College, 2 years as vice president for business and finance at Kalamazoo College, and most recently 2 years as vice president for administration and chief financial officer at Caltech where she oversaw the campus budget and balance sheet and managed a large portion of the Institute’s administrative functions, including, Finance, Facilities, Sponsored Research, Information Services and Audit & Compliance. She was also one of the Institute’s principal liaisons to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Before assuming positions in higher education, Karen spent 17 years in Southern California local government. She worked for the City of Los Angeles as city administrative officer, deputy mayor for finance and performance management, and deputy executive director and chief financial officer for Los Angeles World Airports, which operates Los Angeles International Airport (‘LAX”). In her 9 years at LAX she oversaw the implementation of a new financial system, process improvements in accounts payable and billing and the negotiation of rates and charges with the air carriers serving LAX. She also led the team that crafted the airport’s financial response to the tragic events of 9/11.
Ms. Sisson earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Pomona College, a master’s in business administration from the University of Chicago, and most recently a master’s in biblical studies and theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.