KAREN BEARD, a project director with TIP, has extensive experience as a researcher in both the public and private sector. Ms. Beard’s current projects include writing the economic element for “Forward Dallas”, the first comprehensive plan prepared for the City of Dallas. She is also currently working with Tompkins County Area Development, the economic development organization for Ithaca, NY, to develop a strategy for capitalizing on nanotechnology and materials science research being conducted at Cornell University. Other significant projects she has managed include preparation of a technology adjustment strategy for Racine, WI; conducting fiscal impact analyses for the City of Sachse, TX; and preparing an economic development and marketing strategy for the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, AK.

Prior to joining TIP, Ms. Beard held the position of senior research analyst at the Texas Department of Economic Development. During her tenure at TDED, she was involved in a number of projects, including the design and maintenance of the agency's "one stop" economic development web sites. In this capacity, she served as the principal developer of the Texas Business & Community Economic Development Clearinghouse, a searchable database of economic development resources. Other projects include monitoring the development of the state's strategic plan for economic development, preparing an analysis of transportation-related issues along the Texas-Mexico border, and developing profiles of the state's major industries.

As a research associate for the State Bar of Texas, Ms. Beard analyzed subjects of interest to the legal services industry and participated in dozens of law-related survey research projects, including an extensive annual report on attorney fees and compensation, as well as an award-winning survey on the concerns of minorities in the legal profession. She has also conducted research on the disability community for the Texas Rehabilitation Commission and led a major household travel survey as a research manager for NuStats, an Austin-based transportation research firm. Other topics that she has addressed include the evaluation of manufacturing technology centers, and the effect of regulation on the cost of land development.

Ms. Beard holds a Master of Science in community and regional planning and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.