Karen Cotton

Karen Cotton currently serves as the Vice President of Communications & Public Relations at Nexus Water Group, a position held since April 2024 following the merger of Corix and Southwest Water. Previously, Karen held the same title at CORIX Group of Companies (U.S.) from March 2023 to April 2024 and served as the Senior Manager of External Communications at American Water from November 2006 to March 2023, where strategic communications were led for diverse business units serving 1.3 million people. Karen's career also includes roles as External Affairs Manager at OSF HealthCare, where strategic communication plans were developed for home care and hospice services, and as Media Communications Specialist at State Farm Insurance, where project management systems were implemented. Earlier experience includes working as a News Reporter/Photographer for Courier Newspapers, where community and local government stories were covered. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Bradley University and an Associate of Arts in Communications from Spoon River College.