Karen Terrell Jackson

About Karen Terrell Jackson

Karen is a natural leader and team builder whose presence encourages colleagues to work together seamlessly. Her style of leadership crosses boundaries within and across organizations, communities, states, and countries. Dr. Jackson is reflective, a detailed planner and a strategic thinker. She is able to clearly visualize all facets of a plan objectively which makes her invaluable during project development and project implementation as well as developmental evaluation and program evaluation projects. Karen is known for anticipating potential obstacles and offering potential, innovative, and insightful solutions. By orienting her work from a dynamic, complex, and adaptive systems lens she ultimately creates a diversity of approaches to data collection, analysis,and use. Karen is friendly, caring and genuinely interested in others and helping others use their gifts and talents. Karen also is gifted at facilitating growth opportunities for others which makes her the unequivocal coach and teacher as well as an effective trainer for professional development or facilitator of strategic planning retreats.

Experience

1. Past President

   American Evaluation Association

   Jan 2026 — Present · Washington, DC, US

Education

• North Carolina State University

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), educational research and policy analysis

  2007 — 2014

• The University of Southern Mississippi

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemistry

  1989 — 1994

• The University of Southern Mississippi

  M.Ed., mathematics and curriculum and instruction

  2001 — 2004