Executive Director/CEO
Dr. Karen Hopkins is the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf. With degrees and certifications in early childhood, elementary, deaf and special education, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, she brings over 32 years of experience as a collaborative teacher of the deaf, special educator, early interventionist, grant writer, and educational administrator to her work with deaf and hard of hearing children. Her work with families, coupled with her own personal experience as a deaf adult who is a traumatic brain injury survivor, and parent of a daughter who is hard of hearing, have inspired her to create systems that empower families and unite agencies. She is active in many organizations and boards, is the current President of the Hands & Voices HQ Board of Directors and is involved with international Family Centered Early Intervention programming including the Deaf Leadership International Alliance. Her past international work includes supporting early interventionists and families of deaf and hard of hearing in China. Karen’s current research is focused on perspectives of family empowerment in early intervention systems for deaf and hard of hearing children and family perspectives on the timeliness of families with deaf and hard of hearing children meeting deaf and hard of hearing adults.
Karen has been married to her husband Scott, for 32 years, is a mother of three grown children and very proud “Nana” of her new grandson, Bentley! She enjoys spending time with her family and loves enjoying time on the beach.
She is very happy to be at CCCBSD and looks forward to leading our community into its next chapter.
