Karen Jackson is the president of Apogee Strategic Partners, a Virginia consultancy helping companies and organizations address their most daunting challenges in cyber security, autonomous systems and smart communities and cities. Ms. Jackson formerly served as the Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth. She also served as the Commonwealth’s Deputy Secretary of Technology and Vice President of Broadband Programs for the Center for Innovative Technology.
Ms. Jackson served as a senior advisor to Governor McAuliffe on technology matters including innovation, data analytics, telecommunications, cybersecurity, unmanned systems and smart communities. She was also responsible for overseeing the Commonwealth’s IT infrastructure.
As Secretary, she was responsible for policy and legislative initiatives as well as developing programs to facilitate innovation, entrepreneurship, technology development, and adoption.
Ms. Jackson has been actively engaged in the federal policy initiatives including the development of the National Broadband Plan. She received a 2009 IP3 award from Public Knowledge for her work in information policy, and was named to Government Technology's 2010 list of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers. In 2015, she was named to The Governing Institute Women in Government Leadership Program Class, and in 2016 was named as one of State Scoops’ GoldenGov State Executives of the Year. In 2017, Ms. Jackson was named as one of State Scoop’s Top Women in Technology and she and Governor Terry McAuliffe were jointly recognized as 2017 Difference Makers in Cyber Security by the SANS Institute. Her office also received an excellence in Government award from the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council.
Ms. Jackson served on a number of Boards including the Center for Innovative Technology, the Virginia Research Investment Committee, and the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP). She also served as Governor McAuliffe's representative to the FCC's Intergovernmental Advisory Committee and co-chaired the Commonwealth’s Cyber Security Commission.
She holds a bachelor’s of science in business management from Christopher Newport University and a master's of business administration from The College of William and Mary.
