Karen McDonald was elected by the people of Oakland County to be their Prosecutor in November 2020. Before pursuing her legal career, Karen’s professional life began as a high school English teacher. After graduating Cum Laude from Wayne State University Law School in 1998, Karen joined the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant Prosecutor, where she prosecuted child sexual assault cases and other felonies. In 2004 she began working in private practice at Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss P.C. (now Taft), specializing in civil and family law until she was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in November 2012. Karen served as a family court judge with a docket of divorce/custody, child abuse and neglect, and juvenile delinquency matters. Karen transitioned into private practice specializing in family law matters before running for Prosecutor. Since taking office in January 2021 Karen formed a Trafficking Unit, Hate Crimes Unit, and Conviction Integrity Unit. She has worked alongside leaders in the community, as well as her own office, to establish a Racial Justice Advisory Council, an internal Equity Team, and the Commission to Address Gun Violence. Governor Whitmer appointed Karen to the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, where she was instrumental in getting their summer 2022 recommendations approved. In September 2022 Karen established the Gun Violence Commission, working diligently with subject matter experts. The Commission released its recommendations in June 2024, bringing forward solutions to this public health crisis.
The Summit was more than empty words – it made clear that a solution-driven approach is the only way to fight hate. That’s why the working group activities, which are results driven are going to be critical in defeating violent extremism. The Summit brought together the best minds in government, private sector, academia, and civil society. Being surrounded by these experts sparked new ideas – some of which I’ve already implemented or have written about.
