Profession / role:

Economic Development

Company / organisation:

City of Philadelphia, Department of Commerce

Website (if you have one):

www.phila.gov

My primary role in relation to fashion is:

Consumer, Other

I am looking to discover or buy

Positioning Philadelphia, PA as the capital of Ethical Fashion in the US

About me / About business or organisation:

Dedicated to ethical fashion through my position in government and connections with the private sector

Career history / Company history:

Biography
Karen joined the City of Philadelphia, Department of Commerce in February 2007 as Manager of Commercial Development and Attraction. In March 2009, Karen was promoted by the Nutter Administration to serve as the City’s first Director of Business Attraction and Retention. In this capacity, she is responsible for attracting and retaining businesses in the financial sector, life sciences, the creative economy, retail, professional services, industrial and clean technology and international. Karen serves on the Mayor’s Sustainability Initiative, Greenworks. Karen is the Mayor’s designee to the Reading Terminal Market Corporation Board of Directors, serves on the Advisory Board for Philly Startup Leaders and is on the executive committee of the Green Economy Task Force. Karen is a member of the Sustainable Business Network and the Ethical Fashion Forum.

Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Karen was Vice President Eastern Americas for the Jerde Partnership, an international urban planning and architectural firm. She was responsible for revenue generation focused on urban revitalization, mixed-use, master planning and waterfront development.

Her career began in design in 1973 at Skidmore Owings & Merrill in Chicago, later becoming the firm’s first business development executive located in New York City. She was recruited to create the national business development department for Swanke Hayden Connell Architects NYC, additionally identifying and opening new office locations in the US and Europe. In 1988 Karen founded Randal Resources based on her experience with professional service firms and manufacturers, having worked for Fieldcrest Industries in the development of Karastan’s commercial carpet division and BASF. Utilizing this experience, Karen consulted with a range of companies providing product development, sales and marketing, branding and legislative lobbying.

Karen’s career evolved into economic development when she was recruited by Exelon as Regional Director of Economic Development, where she worked with all agencies and authorities involved in the attraction, retention and expansion of companies in Philadelphia County. She was promoted into Exelon’s core business as Strategic Development Director during Pennsylvania’s deregulation. Karen was ultimately promoted to Director of Real Estate as a direct report to the President.

Playing an active role in urban redevelopment, smart growth and sustainability, Ms. Randal serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute’s Philadelphia District Council. Karen is a founding executive board member of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation 1995 to 2000. She has served at the national and local level, as an active Board Member of CoreNet Global, a commercial real estate association since 1986. She is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

Ms. Randal is a graduate of Ohio State University and has taught at Purdue University, the University of Cincinnati and The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.