Her Story
About Karren
Karren Cresap has spent more than 22 years in the vocational rehabilitation field after working for about 10 years in community mental health. In her current role as Director for Policy and Procedure Development, she reviews agency policies to ensure compliance with federal regulations, drafts necessary updates for leadership approval, supervises a training team that delivers 10 to 14 weeks of virtual and in-person instruction to new counselors and assistants, and tracks terminations to assess their impact on turnover rates. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1993 and her master's degree in 2006. Cresap holds the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor credential, completed the Certified Public Manager program in 2014, and is the only person in Mississippi with the Certified Rehabilitation Leader credential from the original national cohort. She also completed her agency's leaders program in 2011. Cresap served as president-elect, president, and is now Past President of the National Rehabilitation Association. She belongs to the Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Association, the National Association for Rehab Leadership, the Certified Public Manager Association of Mississippi, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Among her honors are the 2014 service award and 2013 President's Award from the Rehabilitation Association of Mississippi, the 2013 Vision Award from her agency, the Professional Achievement Award, the 2009 Travis McCarron Award, and FEMA emergency management recognition. Cresap attributes her success to her curiosity and initiative to learn new things while putting her whole heart into her work. She values transparency and integrity and advises leaders that no input equals no buy-in.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Karren
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think that I'm curious. If something interests me, I want to learn. I have the initiative to reach out and teach myself. I put my whole heart into everything. And having that initiative, I think, is what has helped me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
No input equals no buy-in. When leading people, you've got to have their input. They've got to be part of the process or they're not going to do the work. They've got to know what they're doing is important and why.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To be curious. Ask questions. Have that insatiable quest for knowledge. Don't wait to be told something. If you want to know about it, ask.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Our federal overseer RSA is being moved from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services. We're waiting to see how that will affect our agency at the state level, and the uncertainty has us all a little on edge.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Transparency and integrity. They go hand in hand. You can't have honesty if you're not completely open. Be willing to hear other perspectives; it's not all about you.
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