Karen Klerman

  • Associate Director
  • KLUMP CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE
Karen Klerman

After a successful career in commercial real estate finance, Karen Klerman transitioned from banking to higher education, joining the Klump Center for Real Estate at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. As Associate Director, Karen’s focus will be:

  1. Student Development – Preparing undergraduate, MBA, and MSRE students for early career success through one-on-one career counseling, professional development programs, and learning enrichment opportunities outside the classroom.
  2. Industry Engagement – Building and strengthening relationships with real estate professionals to advise, mentor, and hire Leeds students.
Before joining the Klump Center, Karen was Senior Director of Community Banking at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), where she partnered with local real estate investors and developers to structure and originate diverse financing solutions, including land loans, construction financing, and permanent debt across property types. Previous employers includeWells Fargo, US Bank, Heller Financial, Citicorp, and Sears Roebuck & Company.

Beyond her professional career, Karen is deeply committed to community service. She currently serves as Chair of Boulder’s Housing Advisory Board and as a Board Member for All Roads(formerly Boulder Shelter for the Homeless). Before joining the Klump Center staff, Karen served on the Center’s Advisory Board, where she mentored students and produced the podcast series Icon Insights, available on Spotify and Apple. Additionally, Karen dedicated 10 years of service on the Board of Boulder Housing Partners, the Housing Authority for the City of Boulder.

Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Northwestern University and an MBA majoring in real estate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

She lives in Boulder with her husband and is the proud parent of an adult son and daughter.