Karen Kelly is the Chief of Staff for Congressman Hal Rogers, Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives. She oversees his legislative and Kentucky operations and has led some of his most successful programs since the mid 90s. Congressman Rogers entrusted Karen to lead the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE program to clean up the Appalachian region, and in 2003, he selected her to serve as the founding President & CEO of Operation UNITE, working to combat drug abuse through investigations, treatment, and education. Karen took UNITE’s work to the national stage by launching the National Rx and Illicit Drug Abuse Summit with Congressman Rogers in 2012, a conference that has grown into the largest gathering in the country to address the growing opioid epidemic, garnering the attention of four U.S. Presidents. Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, Karen served as Congressman Rogers’ District Director in Kentucky for nearly a decade, executing his vision to create jobs and advance new economic opportunities in southern and eastern Kentucky, including the SOAR initiative – Shaping Our Appalachian Region.