Karen Roney’s last day as Longmont’s Director of Community Services was March 31, as she retired after a 32-year career heading a diverse slate of departments that daily serve the youngest and most vulnerable of the city’s residents.
Her work has left her proud and feeling accomplished.
“It’s really about providing individual customer service for people who are having problems and in some cases dealing with disappointment,” Roney said. “But what was great about the job is that you get to see the results of your work. That you really helped someone.”
Roney had marked December 2020 as her retirement date, seeing it as an ideal exit for that time in her life. “It seemed a perfect time to go,” Roney said. “I mean I was 64 and I had put in 30 years. You couldn’t ask for a better way to leave.”
But problems with the Longmont Housing Authority reeled her back into her job. The city needed to stabilize the LHA, which provides low-income housing for disadvantaged residents.
The authority was teetering toward collapse as key personnel resigned and operational problems persisted. That led to City Manager Harold Dominguez in May 2020 to take over as executive director and to bring over staff members — including Roney — to manage key functions of the LHA to keep it afloat.
Roney said the task was huge but the stakes were higher since many depended on the LHA for a safe place to live.
“We all looked at each other and said ‘Ok’ here we go … we are going to figure this out,’” Roney said. “We had such a good team working toward this goal. So we remained steadfast … we had to keep swimming, we had to keep working.”
Their efforts are paying off the LHA’s voucher and maintenance program have rebounded and the agency is entering a phase of building new housing in Longmont, Roney said.
Roney’s willingness to dive deep into the LHA’s problems and work to dig out solutions is not surprising, Dominguez said.
“Every organization needs someone like Karen who is not afraid to tell you what you need to know. And all the while she keeps residents in the community square in her vision,” Dominguez said. “As our former mayor, Brian Bagley, once said … ’Karen Roney is the real conscience of our organization.”
“She’s fearless, she's compassionate and she’s focused,” he said. “All that came into focus during her work for the Longmont Housing Authority.” Dominguez credits both Roney and Kathy Fedler, the city’s housing and community investment manager at the time, as key in bolstering the LHA.
“I don’t think we will be able to replace Karen,” Dominguez said.
Roney said through her career she has channeled the discipline she learned while working on the family farm in Monmouth, Ill. “I grew up with a sense of values about how you do business. Being grounded in hard work and ethics is invaluable to me.”
A visit to Greeley with her family convinced Roney to enroll later at the University of Northern Colorado to get a degree in counseling. She followed with a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Iowa, Roney said.
Roney worked at a battered women’s shelter in Aurora before she took the job as director of Longmont’s Human and Cultural Services in May 1990. Roney said her year-and-a-half stint at the shelter jolted her.
“It’s very hard to see the consequences of violence and what people do to each other,” Roney said. “It can jade you.“
As Director of Community Services, Roney oversaw Children, Youth & Families, Community & Neighborhood Resources, Housing & Community Investment, the Longmont Library and Museum, Recreation & Golf and Senior Services.
During her tenure, she learned about the needs of different groups and to pick up some expertise on a variety of subjects. But mostly she learned how to listen. “You learn about libraries, museums to golf tee times,” Roney said.
“And you take in what division managers are telling you,” Roney said. “You are able to learn and grow with them.”
She said collaboration is a key factor in getting needed services to residents. “You learn to roll up your sleeves and do what needs to be done,” Roney said.
A prime example, Roney said, is Homeless Solutions for Boulder County. The agency was conceived by the county and the cities of Boulder and Longmont to assist homeless individuals and families to get the most appropriate housing as quickly as possible.
“Sometimes you learn to be the lead in some efforts, other times you work in the background to bring people together,” Roney said. “As long as the job gets done.”
Michele Waite, manager of senior services for Longmont, said Roney made significant contributions as a leader in large scale community efforts including strategic planning, community engagement and affordable housing.
Internally, Roney was a champion for inclusion and diversity, excellence in customer service, and for the development of programs and services that provide opportunities for community members to thrive, Waite said via email.
“Her work ethic and integrity are exceptional,” Waite said. “Though not always out in front and center, Karen’s commitment and focus has often been the difference-maker and the backbone of any success.”
