This is the fifth of seven profiles of the honorees of the 24th-annual Outstanding Women of Clinton County Class of 2023. More information on the event, including how to obtain tickets, appears at the end of each profile.

Karen Buckley – “The simple act of caring is heroic (Edward Albert)”

Karen Buckley’s history and passion for Clinton County runs deep, as a former 1969 Wilmington High School graduate and past president of the Clinton County Bar Association and Rural Legal Aid Society. She is a former Public Defender Commission member and the Residential Board of Appeals for Clinton County member. Karen currently serves her community as a local attorney, but her contributions specifically in elder law and to families that use those services have been one of her lasting accomplishments. She is an expert at navigating the maze of economic and legal challenges, and her work has been an asset to the entire community. Wilmington and the surrounding area have benefited from her expertise and knowledge, and her dedication to her hometown has provided Clinton County residents good guidance and care for many years.

Aside from her work, Karen is passionate about caregiving by providing for the needs and concerns of individuals in a legal matter, but with the warmth and care with which a friend or family member would provide. She enjoys her service to the P.E.O. International Sisterhood, an organization that supports scholarship funds for young women worldwide. As a female attorney, she knows the impacts education can have upon young women. She is active in serving her local National Society of the Colonial Dames of America chapter as well.

By way of her community involvement Karen Buckley has been able to offer both legal and personal knowledge to many in-need organizations and individuals. She is a member of the Wilmington Noon Rotary and has volunteered on its Board in the past. She is on the Board of Trustees of the Charlie Fischer Fund (which serves medical needs of Clinton County children), and the Board of Trustees for Cape May Retirement Village. She is a past member of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board and was President of the Clinton County Foundation for over ten years, in which she helped students obtain educational scholarships locally. Karen’s compassionate work both in front of and behind closed doors is a reminder of the important characteristics of an Outstanding Woman of Clinton County.

Each honoree will be individually profiled in the pages of the News Journal in the days leading up to the 2023 Outstanding Women of Clinton County luncheon ceremony, set for Saturday, April 8 at the Roberts Centre near Wilmington. Doors will open at 11:30 with the luncheon starting promptly at noon.

The keynote speaker will be funny motivational speaker Kay Frances, who is “Helping America Stress Less. One Laugh at a Time.”

Tickets for the 2023 Outstanding Women of Clinton County luncheon are $25 (cash or check accepted, payable to “Clinton County Foundation”). Reservations can be made at the Wilmington News Journal, 1547 Rombach Ave., Wilmington, OH 45177 or by visiting their website at www.outstandingwomenclintoncounty.org

If you have any questions, please call (937)382-2574 or email [email protected]. Reservations can be made until March 24, 2023.