Karen McCrimmon is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Canadian Forces. She has the distinction of being the first woman ever to command a Canadian Forces air transport squadron. As Commanding Officer of 429 Squadron, which flew tactical transport C130 Hercules based in Trenton, Karen and her crews carried out many humanitarian and military operations around the globe.

During her career in the military, she served in many operational theatres including Gulf War I, the Balkans and a tour in Afghanistan. She was also a senior staff officer at NATO Headquarters in Ramstein, Germany. In 1995 Karen was awarded the Order of Military Merit (OMM), among the highest peace time military awards, given to her in recognition of distinctive merit and exceptional service.

Upon retirement, Karen returned to school to study negotiation and mediation. She now owns her own small business which specializes in facilitation, conflict resolution, collaborative solutions and training.

Karen has been involved as a volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society for many years and has always been an active contributor to community and family support associations. She and her husband Rob have two adult children.

Karen was the Liberal candidate in the 2011 Federal election in the riding of Carleton-Mississippi Mills.

Karen’s website: karenforcanada.ca

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