Karla's responsibilities embrace association management, event and expo planning as well as marketing. She spent 10 years with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as an event representative and marketer. After leaving St. Jude, Stephens started her own event planning firm in Memphis, Tennessee, with a concentration on corporate events. Karla joined the KCA team in October, 2007. A graduate of East Tennessee State University, Karla holds a Bachelors of Science in Mass Communications. She is also a published writer and marketing instructor.