Karen Ames has been a leader in the communications field for more than 25 years with experience encompassing the fields of public relations, strategic communications, community affairs, public affairs and government relations. She is the founder of KarenAmes.com, a boutique consulting firm specializing in strategic communications and public affairs. A communications leader in the Bay Area, Karen worked internally with the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera for much of her career. In 2005, she was appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors as a representative on the Arts Task Force, representing organizations with budgets of more than $5,000,000. Nationally, Karen has lectured widely on topics related to the orchestra and opera field and published articles as a freelance writer. Her experience in communications is augmented by professional certification from New Ventures West as a Certified Integral Coach and she incorporates principles of life and professional coaching in her communications practice.

Prior to founding KarenAmes.com, Karen served as Director of Communications and Public Affairs at San Francisco Opera, where she renewed a working partnership with David Gockley that began at Houston Grand Opera in the 1980s. Ames directed the publicity for the succession of David Gockley as San Francisco Opera’s new General Director in January 2006 and was instrumental in the implementation of the Company’s many new initiatives including its radio broadcasts, nationwide cinema-cast series, and its series of free community simulcasts such as Opera in the Ballpark. Previous to her post at San Francisco Opera, Ames worked for 16 years at the San Francisco Symphony ultimately leading the company’s communications and public affairs division. Hired initially at the Symphony by David Landis, Karen went on to lead the division and her working collaboration with David spans more than two decades. During her leadership at the Symphony, she spearheaded the communications efforts surrounding many projects, including the introduction of Michael Tilson Thomas as Music Director; the celebration of MTT’s 10th Season as Music Director; numerous European, Asian, and national orchestra tours; international recording projects; and the major launch of the San Francisco Symphony’s five year multi-media project “Keeping Score: MTT on Music”, among many others.

Karen Ames graduated from California State University Long Beach with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. As part of that course work, she also completed final year university courses in Politics at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. Her professional work in San Francisco also included an early career in rock and roll publicity and – in the early 1980’s – as manager for the all female punk-rock band, The Contractions.