Our Board of Directors

Karis Engle is the President/CEO of The Glades Initiative, a nonprofit addressing health and human service system of care needs in the Glades. She has over 20 years of experience working in nonprofit organizations. Karis has been a passionate advocate for reducing disparities and improving access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services. She brings a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the provision of health and human services to vulnerable populations, including access to care and rural health issues. 

Karis holds a Master of Science degree in organizational leadership and an undergraduate degree in international development with an emphasis in social work. She has lived and worked internationally and is conversational in Spanish and Haitian Creole. She also serves as a board member for other nonprofits, including as vice president of Florida Impact, a state-side, anti-hunger and poverty organization, past president of the Nonprofit Chamber of Palm Beach County, vice president of Glades PATCH, member of The Palm Beach County Community Alliance – District 9 and most recently joined the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.