This interview is the second in a series of five introducing new members of the senior administration of Charlotte Latin School.

Karen S. Moore, CPA, joined Charlotte Latin School this summer as Chief Financial and Operations Officer. Although she grew up in Tennessee, she most recently lived in Chicago, IL, where she was the Chief Financial and Operations Officer of Francis Xavier Warde School. 

When you were growing up, did you think you would end up working at a school?

When I was young, I told my father that I wanted to run an orphanage. To test me, he took me to visit a family that had adopted 17 children, thinking it might scare me off. Instead, I said, “Oh, this is perfect.” My father wanted me to think bigger — my parents were always think-bigger kind of people.

So I decided to be a pediatrician. But by my third year of pre-med school, I realized medicine wasn’t my calling. Nonprofits, though — that felt like a possibility. I’d always liked math, so I graduated in accounting and eventually became the controller at a healthcare system, which meant that in a way, I was still caring for children. 

Years later, when I had my own children and enrolled them in an independent school, the head of school looked at me and said, “Why don’t you get a real job and work for me?” And so I became the CFO of an independent school. Wanting to love and teach children was always in my path. That impulse to teach, I think, comes partly from my father. He was a nuclear engineering lab professor at the University of Tennessee. We lived in Oak Ridge Tennessee, home of the Manhattan Project. My mother was an editor at the Department of Energy, editing magazines on nuclear safety. On family vacations, instead of theme parks, we toured nuclear plants. I like to joke that I probably glow in the dark as a result.

Looking back, I can see that the dream I had as a child — to love, protect, and nurture children — never really left me. It just took different shapes along the way. Whether through healthcare, education, or leadership, that calling has always been at the heart of my work. 

Which aspect of the Portrait of the Latin Leader resonates with you?

I would describe myself as a Humble Collaborator. I’m naturally curious, so I like to learn from others and get their input before making decisions. I want to understand how things are done and respect the culture that’s already in place. I’ll admit, I sometimes underestimate myself — but honestly, that often works in my favor. It pushes me to listen deeply, work harder, and often overdeliver.

What were you proudest of about your work at the Francis Xavier Warde School?

I arrived the week of the Covid shutdown, but I hadn’t ended my previous job in Florida. So for the first month, I did both jobs in lockdown in Chicago. The school had just installed the Veracross and PayCom software packages, but nobody knew how to use them. So I spent that summer with my son in lockdown, and we implemented all the applications. I became the Chief Information Officer, along with the CFOO title.

What might surprise people about you?

When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut. I visited NASA and did the flight simulator, but I got seasick, so I decided that I would rather be at Mission Control. 

What have you been curious about lately?

My latest curiosity has been the history of Charlotte. According to ancestry.com, when my family came to the United States, they landed in Mecklenburg County. I have several cousins here, so we’re connecting and getting together: literally, these are my people.

How would you describe your approach to being CFOO?

I’d describe my approach as both technical and people-focused. I came to Latin, and was hired, because of my technical and technological expertise, particularly with systems like Veracross and Paycom — as well as my experience managing large-scale construction projects. But just as importantly, I bring the perspective I developed from running my own consulting business for ten years, where my role was to listen to users, understand their needs, and connect the human and technological pieces so everything worked together seamlessly. That’s what I love to do, and it’s the approach I hope to bring here as CFOO.