Announcing Midwest Environmental Advocates’s New Executive Director

Midwest Environmental Advocates welcomes Karen M. Schapiro as its new Executive Director. Karen comes to us from the law firm of DeWitt Ross & Stevens, S.C., where she was a partner in the environmental practice group. Earlier in her career Karen served as an air enforcement attorney at the U.S. EPA in Washington, D.C. She prosecuted violations of the Clean Air Act around the country, and also worked on regulation and policy developments. Karen is a recipient of the EPA’s Bronze Medal of Commendation for her role in negotiating emission reductions from over 40 “high risk” sources of air toxics. While in Washington, D.C., Karen also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Karen has taught environmental law at Marquette University Law School and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel. She has also written on the subject extensively, with articles appearing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Lawyer, among other publications.

In 2005, Karen was named a “Leader in the Law” by the Wisconsin Law Journal. The award recognized Karen for pursuing citizen suit litigation against the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District for dumping raw sewage into Lake Michigan and Milwaukee-area rivers. Karen is also included among lists of Wisconsin Super Lawyers® and the Best Lawyers in America.®

Karen earned her B.A. from Oberlin College (religion) and J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. She resides in Milwaukee with her husband Douglas Frazer, also a lawyer, and sons Nathan and Jacob.

Karen is honored to assume the role of Executive Director, so ably held by Melissa Scanlan since the founding of the organization. She is looking forward to working with Midwest Environmental Advocates, its staff and supporters, to carry on and expand the mission of promoting environmental justice in the Western Great Lakes Region.