A University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate and sixth-generation Nebraska native, Karl has spent the last five years at the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, serving as director of communications and marketing in the nation’s third-largest manufacturing state.
Previously, Karl was a vice president at the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a dozen years. Prior to that, he was deputy director of agriculture under former Gov. Dave Heineman. He also worked on Capitol Hill as legislative aide for U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel and legislative director for U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, both of Nebraska. Karl is an Army veteran.
“Grand Island provides an extremely competitive environment for employers and an extraordinary quality of life for families, young professionals, and retirees,” Karl said. “It’s an honor to go to work for Grand Island’s business community, which is receiving national attention for its economic strength and recent growth.”
Karl noted that Grand Island has been spotlighted by a new ranking published by Area Development magazine, a leading corporate site selection publication. This comparison of 384 U.S. metropolitan areas shows Grand Island in 2023 was:
- Third best in nation for its core economic indicators;
- No. 11 in the U.S. for its economic strength; and
- No. 22 in overall economic growth, ahead of 362 other metro areas nationwide, including Omaha (No. 192) and Lincoln (No. 125).
