Karen S. Howard is a four-decade veteran in the private sector. She brings her expertise in retail, manufacturing, financial services, and consumer operations upon joining the public sector in August 2020. On January 25, 2024, Ms. Howard will speak on the panel for the Potomac Officers Club-hosted CX Imperative Forum.
Become a member of the Potomac Officers Club and catch Karen Howard sharing her insights at the CX Imperative Forum. Register for the forum today to learn about the current initiatives to reduce bureaucratic processes in government operations.
Delve into Karen S. Howard’s expertise, particularly in improving customer experiences in the private sector and citizen experiences in the public sector.
Who is Karen Howard?
Karen S. Howard boasts industry knowledge of consumer expectations, modern technologies, marketing, and brand strategies. She held a number of management positions in major retail enterprises, such as Home Depot, Phoenix Textiles, Tractor Supply Company, The Mast General Store Inc., and Renfro Brands.Â
In Augusto 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Howard joined the public sector as the Executive Director for the Head Office of Online Services at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Joining at a critical period, she has helped the federal government improve its processes for tax collection, digital transformation, and Internal Revenue Code compliance.
Karen Howard completed her Bachelor of Science in Clothing, Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, Management, and Marketing at Western Carolina University in 1986. She also has several certifications related to project management, product management, human-computer interaction (HCI), and master data management.
Karen Howard’s 40+ year career focuses on driving more enjoyable customer experiences
In her four decades of experience across the public and private sectors, Karen Howard has always centered her work around improving customer satisfaction and gratification at every contact point. She understands people’s needs and wants to deliver more enjoyable customer experiences across the board.
It’s this same ethos that Ms. Howard maintained upon transitioning to the public sector and joining the IRS. She aims to improve taxpayers’ online user experience and create a more streamlined process for tax payments.
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Karen Howard, Executive Director of the Internal Revenue Service’s Head Office of Online Services
As the Executive Director for the Head Office of Online Services at the Internal Revenue Service, Karen S. Howard is responsible for ensuring easy access to all tax-related information, simplifying processes to accomplish tax obligations, and implementing digital tools, processes, and services on IRS.gov.
Ms. Howard leads a team of over 200 public servants in strategic guidance and tactical oversight. She manages the team’s objective of empowering user experience with digital capabilities through understanding the taxpayer community’s voice and behavior as well as internal stakeholder requirements.
Karen Howard, Panelist for the Potomac Officers Club’s The CX Imperative Forum
Take a look at the initiatives of federal agencies to improve citizen experiences based on the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, passed by President Joe Biden in December 2021. Register for The CX Imperative Forum on January 25, 2024.
Karen Howard is participating as a panelist in the Radiant-sponsored CX Imperative Forum. She is set to discuss the digital transformational changes she has spearheaded in her IRS office. Ms. Howard is joined by other industry leaders, namely:
- Dana Chisnell, Executive Director for the Customer Experience Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security (Keynote speaker)
- Dr. Shankar Rachakonda, Chief Executive Officer at Radiant Digital (Keynote introducer)
- Jeffery McLaughlin, Senior Vice President at Radiant Digital (Panelist)
- Victor Udoewa, Service Design Lead for the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Panelist)
What is The CX Imperative Forum?
- Organizer: Potomac Officers Club
- Date: January 25, 2024 (7:00am – 10:00am/ ET)
- Location: 2941 Restaurant, 2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, VA 22042
- Sponsor: Radiant
The CX Imperative Forum discusses the technological advancements the government must harness to help redesign citizen experiences to better align with the agency’s goal and presidential directive. The forum addresses the current bureaucratic procedures and the steps to decrease the overwhelming paperwork citizens and workers must undergo.
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