Biography
Karen Stone Mickool is a Principal and co-owner of Stone Associates, LLC. She has also served as a Senior Consultant and Executive Coach for several regional consulting firms including CCI Consulting and Kensington International. Her passion is helping companies and individuals reach their full potential by maximizing opportunities for leadership, growth and development.
Karen has an extensive background in Human Resources, Organization and Leadership Development, and Coaching in a wide variety of environments. Prior to her corporate career, Karen spent over ten years providing Leadership Development and Student Services on college campuses. She then held strategic positions with The Bank of New York, Fleet Boston (Bank of America), Southco Engineering, AIG Marketing, and the Coca Cola Company. She has managed human resources departments, designed and delivered global leadership training programs, implemented corporate wide succession planning and change management initiatives, and provided coaching and development to senior executives, higher education leaders and front-line management. Karen was also taught as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Goldey-Beacom College and Shepherd College.
Since co-founding Stone Associates in 2009, Karen has provided onsite and remote leadership development, executive coaching, and HR services to a variety of large and small businesses across the country. She conducts HR compliance audits, designs leadership training and organizational assessments, and often coaches individuals through career transitions. She recently partnered with several New Mexico and Texas non-profits to improve their organizational effectiveness, build their leadership teams and improve communications processes.
Karen spent several years in South Carolina, where she served on the Board of Directors for the Coastal Organization for Human Resources. She became the President Elect of COHR in 2016. She also served as a District Director for the SC SHRM State Council. Previously, she served as a District Director for 2 years for SHRM New Mexico. She is a Past President of the Board of Directors of the Northern New Mexico Human Resource Association where she served in various positions for 5 years and also served for 5 years on the Board of Directors for Delaware SHRM.
Karen is a Master Graduate of the Discover Leadership Program and High 5 Leadership, was a Master Trainer for Achieve Global (MHI Global), and has been certified in a number of other leadership development programs. She holds a Masters Degree in Higher Education and Student Personnel Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Education from the University of Delaware.
Her specialties include Executive Coaching, Performance Management, Strategic Planning, Employee Relations, Project Management, Global Succession Planning, Change Management, Human Resources Compliance, HR Outsourcing, Talent Search & Recruiting, Career Transition, Lominger Leadership Architect, Training and Leadership Development, and Organizational Design. Karen recently moved to Richmond, Virginia with her husband and their schnauzers, Kelso and Maggie.