Karen King Ph.D. serves in a dual leadership role as the Commissioner of Public Advocacy for Erie County and as the Executive Director of the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women.
The Department of Public advocacy oversees the Division Consumer Protection, the Bureau of Weights and Measures, and the Commission on the Status of Women.
As the Executive Director of the Commission on the Status of Women, Dr. King is responsible for creating programs, informational reports and developing collaborative relationships with government and community partners that work to provide resources to the women and girls of Erie County, to ensure that they participate fully in matters that have an impact on their lives and toward the elimination of all gender-based discrimination and the promotion of women’s economic, societal and political empowerment.
Prior to joining Erie County, Dr. King served at the University of Buffalo in several capacities including, the Educational Services Coordinator for Intercultural and Diversity Center and as the Grant Project Manager for a National Science Foundation grant: the Interdisciplinary Engineering and Science Partnership (ISEP) in partnership with Buffalo Public School District.
Dr. King has served as an adjunct graduate faculty member at Buffalo State College and in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo. Additionally, she has developed and taught courses and conducted numerous workshops on popular media culture, social justice advocacy and anti-racist feminist theory.
She has served on the New York State Council for Women and Girls, the Executive Committee of the University at Buffalo Gender Institute, The Family Justice Center of Erie County, and currently serves on the boards of Alleyway Theater and PowHer NY.
Prior to her careers in higher education and public service, Dr. King worked in the television and commercial production business in New York.
Date: March 4, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM Registration
Cost: $35 member/$40 non-member
Location: Rizotto Italian Restaurant, 930 Maple Road, Williamsville, NY 14221
Register online today by Friday February 27, 2026!