Karen Filipponi

Karen Filipponi is the Deputy Director for the Departmental Office of Human Resource Management.  In this role, Ms. Filipponi is responsible for leading Departmental human resource management policies for a large Cabinet-level agency in areas including: recruitment and staffing, position classification, pay, employee and labor relations, employee development, workforce planning, executive resources, employee benefits, automation, performance management, work and family life, and accountability.  She is a strong advocate for streamlining procedures to provide outstanding service to DOT’s Operating Administrations.
Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Transportation, Ms. Filipponi served as the Director of Human Resources at the Peace Corps and Chief of Human Resources at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  At both agencies, she was honored with the agencies’ single highest Director’s Award for driving change.  She also served as an Auditor, and later as Director of Human Resources, at the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.  During this time, she performed reviews on Postal Service sponsorships, stamp marketing and emergency procedures during the anthrax scares.  She then led the HR Office for five years, revamping programs, overseeing all aspects of human resources and leading major hiring initiatives. 
Beginning her career at the Government Accountability Office, Ms. Filipponi worked in various disciplines, including human resources.  During her career, she also owned and operated two full-service florists.  Her accomplishments in these prior positions include executing organizational change across disciplines by focusing on innovative cost-effective solutions to increase productivity and accountability.

Ms. Filipponi possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, with Minors in Human Resources and Marketing.  She also received an Executive Leadership Certificate from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and attended both the Federal Executive Institute and the Treasury Executive Institute.
Ms. Filipponi is a member of the Federal Executive Institute Alumni Association, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Alumni Association.  Originally from Michigan, she currently resides in Virginia with her husband and children.