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Former First Lady Karen Pence
About the Former First Lady
Karen Pence has been a school teacher for more than 25 years. As First Lady of Indiana, Karen continued her passion for educating children by traveling the state, shining the spotlight on amazing schools in Indiana.
Mrs. Pence is an artist. Her specialty is watercolors of homes and historical buildings.
She was the honorary chair of the Art Therapy Initiative at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis and is a member of Riley Children’s Hospital Foundation Board. She also serves as a board member for Tracy's Kids, an art therapy program for several children's hospitals in the Washington, D.C. area. She filled her office with art work created by students from all over the world.
Mrs. Pence also traveled the state as Indiana’s official Bicentennial Ambassador. In this position, she played a key role in celebrating Indiana’s 200th birthday in 2016.
In her role as First Lady, Mrs. Pence created the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation. The Foundation was a 501 (c) 3 whose purpose was to encourage and support youth and families of Indiana. The beneficiaries included individuals, schools, communities, and families, along with arts organizations. The Foundation’s board awarded over $600,000 in grants to charities serving Hoosiers in all 92 counties.
Mrs. Pence brought awareness to many causes by supporting and participating in over 40 initiatives as First Lady.
Mrs. Pence earned a B.S. and M.S. in Elementary Education from Butler University. She and Vice President Mike Pence have been married since 1985 and are proud parents of their adult children, Michael and his wife Sarah, and daughters Charlotte and Audrey.
First Lady Karen Pence Initiatives
- Indiana Bicentennial Ambassador
- Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation
- Hopeline From Verizon-Assistance to Domestic Violence Survivors
- Deployment Letters to Indiana National Guard
- School Visits Across Indiana
- Art Therapy
- Riley Children’s Foundation Board of Governors
- Infant Mortality
- CASA Columbia Family Day
- Scholastic Summer Reading Program
- Assistance League of Indianapolis
- Annual Tree Trim Program at the Statehouse
- Statehood Day-Statehouse
- Christmas at the Capitol
- Hoosier Art Salon and Cooperative Calendar of Student Art
- Art Mix Event (over 300 children attend)
- Boy Scout Camp out at the Governor’s Residence
- Lupus Awareness
- Indiana State Fair
- Indiana Army National Guard Books and Boots
- Indiana Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Luncheon
- Hoosier Heroine Essay Contest
- Healthy Hoosier Foundation
- Sagamore Leadership Series
- Noble Arts Depot Event
- Dayspring Home Center
- Wee-Ones Nursery Prison
- Drumstick Dash
- Kids Dance Outreach
- JAG
- Beehive at the Governor’s Residence
- Governor’s Prayer Breakfast Participants Dinner
- 1816 Indiana Bicentennial Tea (Sister-City Bicentennial Letter)
- Holiday Tours of the Governor’s Residence
- Lighting of the Governor’s Residence Tree with area school children
- Trick or Treating at the Residence (400 to 600 children)
- Legislative events
- Black Expo
- DNR Campout
- Mile with Mike
- Gold Star Ceremony
- COPS Cycling for Survivors
- Greening of the Canal (St. Patrick’s Day)
- Arbor Day
- National Governor’s Association (NGA)
- Foreign Travel Initiatives