When something sparks Kari’s interest, there’s no telling how far she will take it – and it will take her. For instance, spending a year in Spain in the early ‘90s and becoming fluent in Spanish led Kari to a dozen years of teaching Spanish, brilliantly and innovatively, in the Greensboro, NC public schools. In fact, her courses became so popular that when school language funding was cut, parents got together to help Kari create after-school language programs.
Or take Kari’s chance encounter with a guitar-toting fellow musician at a book club meeting. A few impromptu songs in promising harmony led to the formation of the old-time music group Polecat Creek. A dozen years later, the group has three fine albums and an eager following to its credit.
These days, Kari brings equal enthusiasm and commitment to her work as a real estate broker. Within months of getting her license, in 2007, Kari learned of and enrolled in Asheville’s eco-realtor certification program – the first program of its kind in the nation. For Kari, it’s a chance to apply long-held interests. “In 1997, I earned a Masters of Arts and Liberal Studies at UNC Greensboro,” she says. “I focused on ecology, environmental studies, urban planning, alternative energy – and for a decade afterward I didn’t see the things I studied being implemented. Now, I’m working in a place and with a group of people that are helping to bring these concepts into reality. It feels great to play a part in it.”