Karen Costilo keeps projects on track by being in two places at once: the present and the future. “It’s about being aware of everything that needs to get done now and also thinking ahead to make sure the pieces are in place to get where we need to go,” she says. “I’m not afraid to raise questions and flag concerns along the way, so they don’t become bigger problems later.”

As Project Coordinator at Aha Media Group, Karen combines those juggling skills with a keen eye for detail, a high bar for quality and deadlines, and a love of being a team player. To keep it all on track, she embraces processes and standards — but isn’t afraid to revisit established practices to make sure they remain the best way to meet client and organizational goals.

Karen has more than 10 years of experience in project management, with a background in health communications projects for mission-driven organizations and government agencies. Her award-winning past work spanned content channels, including print, digital, video, and radio. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she’s particularly proud of her role creating Spanish health PSAs for federal agencies, and she always gets a thrill from launching a new website.

Karen has traveled globally and now enjoys being rooted with her family in the Washington, D.C., area. She loves to cook, especially healthy fare like soups and salads. Karen always makes an effort to get her daily steps in, and she enjoys long walks — often with a podcast in her ears and her goldendoodle at her side.