About Karen
Committed to Community
Karen Liot Hill is a City Councilor in Lebanon, New Hampshire, mother of two daughters who attended Lebanon public schools, and former owner of the Lebanon Diner, which was forced to close in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Currently serving in her eighth term on the City Council, Karen served as the appointed Mayor of the city in 2008-09. Karen's focus has been primarily on issues of sustainability - fiscal and environmental - and increasing the accessibility, transparency, and accountability of her local government. She has been the City Council representative to the Energy Committee, which she helped to create, the Westboro Yard downtown revitalization committee, Cable Access Television, the Economic Development Commission and has chaired the city's task force on homelessness in 2018 and the Welcoming Lebanon task force in 2020. In 2009, Karen signed on to the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, on behalf of the City of Lebanon.
Karen is very active in her community as well as the state. She has served on the boards of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, Vital Communities, and Wise. Karen was the Lebanon Middle School PTO president while her youngest daughter attended school there. She has been the musical director for Middle School drama productions and was the song leader at the First Baptist Church of Lebanon for many years. She was named one of New Hampshire's top "40 Under 40" by the Union Leader newspaper in 2010 and the "Ted Kennedy Young Official of the Year" by the New Hampshire Young Democrats in 2009. Karen is a member of Dartmouth's Class of 2000, graduating with Honors in Government.
The Lebanon Times
Summer 2019
"Karen is a walking-talking multitasker with a deeply rooted passion for civic duty and community awareness."
Boards & Committees
Vital Communities - helped with succession planning and strategic planning, still serve on Nominating Committee
Wise - helped transition organization from rented space to permanent facility on Bank Street
Leadership Upper Valley - have led Government & Politics Day for 10 years
New Hampshire Municipal Association - statewide advocacy organization for cities and towns
Lebanon Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (LMS PTO) - past president, fostered increased coordination and collaboration between parents and admin
First Baptist Church of Lebanon - former songleader for 15+ years
Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee - founding member (was created as part of Lebanon's participation in US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, which I signed as Mayor in 2009)
Westboro Yard Committee (former City Council subcommittee) - worked to secure brownfields grant funding to clean up 2 acres on the north end to create a park
Lebanon Pedestrian & Bicyclist Advisory Committee - City Council representative
Lebanon Outing Club - volunteer lift attendant and concessions for many years
CATV - City Council representative
Grafton County Economic Development Commission - City Council representative
Chaired the City Task Force on the Welcoming Lebanon Ordinance/Fair & Impartial Policing to make recommendations to the City Council
Chaired the City Task Force on Homelessness to make recommendations to the City Council
City Council Governance Subcommittee
Subcommittee for the Implementation of the Master Plan
Lebanon Economic Development Commission - CURRENT City Council representative
Joint City Council/School Board Task Force - CURRENT City Council representative
Young Elected Officials Network - national organization of progressive local, county, and state leaders (honorary member, having aged out at 40 two years ago)
Lebanon, Upper Valley, Grafton County & New Hampshire Democratic Party