Current Position and Past Experience
Kari Shafenberg joined CAEL in 2022. As director of initiatives, she focuses on helping the organization’s partner institutions attain operational excellence. Shafenberg is passionate about college access and success, especially for transfer and adult learners. She brings significant experience and expertise with process management/refinement within postsecondary education as well as a keen understanding of whether and how credits stack into certificates and degrees.

Prior to CAEL, Shafenberg recently served as associate registrar and later interim director of transfer initiatives at University of Colorado-Denver. Shafenberg supervised teams focused on transfer evaluation, degree mapping, degree audit, degree conferral, and related services. She also engaged directly in policy creation, strategic planning, business process design, and infrastructural decision-making. Previously, Shafenberg served in student support roles at University of Denver, Colorado Technical University, Colorado State University-Global Campus, and American Sentinel University.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Shafenberg holds a master’s degree in adult education and training from Trident University International, earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Western Colorado University, and she is pursuing an Ed.D in higher education administration. Shafenberg enjoys volunteering in her local community and resides in the Denver, Colorado area.

Personal Details and Community Involvement
Shafenberg loves to cook for her family and friends, and takes advantage of the vibrant craft brewery scene in the Denver area.

Connect
You can connect with Kari on LinkedIn