CAREY M. PALMQUIST, MSM

Carey currently holds the position of Chief Program and Partnership Officer at KABOOM!, a 27-year-old national non-profit whose mission is to eliminate play space inequities resulting from institutional racism and decades of disinvestment affecting primarily black and brown communities across the United States.  KABOOM! engages with communities to understand the history of racial inequity in the community and collaborates to build or refurbish play spaces that are kid-designed, accessible, and inclusive.

Before KABOOM!, Carey was the Chief Operating Officer at First Book, another national non-profit whose mission is to provide millions of brand new books to low-income kids attending Title I schools and other eligible programs. Before joining First Book in 2014, Carey served four years as President of Operation Warm, a national non-profit providing brand-new winter coats to low-income children throughout the US and Canada.  Before she transitioned into the social sector, Carey served as Vice President of Operations for a state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar cancer treatment company where she was responsible for all operational aspects of the company's flagship treatment center in Oklahoma City. She has also served for over a decade in the capacity of human resources executive in the healthcare, technology, and financial industries.

She holds a Master of Management from Cambridge College and is a certified Six Sigma Green and Black Belt. Carey lives on the Chesapeake Bay with her husband and two Jack Russel Terriers, Jack and Pocket.