Karen was raised in a modest home in a small California farming
community where she developed her core beliefs as a social and fiscal
conservative. Her grandparents immigrated from Japan and Poland.
Although her grandparents were prevented from naturalized citizenship
until their senior years, they raised their children to be proud
Americans. Her father was a member of the 442nd Battalion, the most
highly decorated battalion during World War II.
Born in Colorado, her parents moved to California where
Karen attended public schools in the Central Valley. To help pay for
college school supplies, she worked as a nurses’ aide and lab assistant.
While her husband, David, served in the U.S. Air Force, Karen devoted
herself to providing a nurturing home for their four children. Their
sons are active duty members of the Air Force and Navy. Their eldest
daughter is a Coast Guard veteran and their youngest daughter is a
devoted wife and mother of two children. In her spare time, Karen
volunteered with the Officers’ Wives Clubs, in community outreach to
disabled children, hospitals and nursing homes and served as the Marine
Mom for the US Embassy Marine Security Guard Unit in Australia. The
Testerman Family moved to New Hampshire in 1993 and currently live in
Franklin.
Karen is a long time advocate of family values and rights.
She joined with a group of grassroot activists who fought the
introduction of Goals 2000 in New Hampshire to a standstill. As
Executive Director of Cornerstone Policy Research (a New Hampshire
family policy organization she founded in 2000), she became a leading
voice for the traditional family. She led the fight on numerous family
rights issues. Karen is also the ‘go – to’ person for national
pro-family group activities in the state. She is a recipient of the
Family Research Council “Family Faith and Freedom: award and the
Cornerstone Policy Research “William Wilberforce’ award. NH Magazine
selected her as one of their ‘Remarkable Women”. Karen was host of a
weekly radio show called New Hampshire Policy and People” that covered a
variety of topics that affect the family. She is a columnist, author
and consultant.
Shortly after arriving in NH in 1993, Karen sought the
family policy council associated with Focus on the Family. Learning that
there was not such a group in New Hampshire, she set about
understanding how to found and grow an organization that would network
with other state public policy organizations around the country.
Starting a nonprofit as a new resident to the state required
familiarizing herself with the laws of the state, getting to know the
people, the government and legislative process, in addition to becoming
knowledgeable about the issues. With great pride, Cornerstone Policy
Research officially opened its doors in 2000. Eight and a half years
later she stepped down to pursue other interests.
She established the Steward of the Family Award to
recognize individuals in NH who made a difference for strengthening and
/or defending family values. Later she established the coveted William
Wilberforce Award given to persons in publish policy who exemplifies the
statesmanship and diligence of abolitionist, William Wilberforce. These
awards are presented at the annual Cornerstone fundraising dinners
where prominent national figures like Ken Starr, Star Parker, Rabbi
Daniel Lapin, and Oklahoma State Senator Steve Russell, Re. US Army were
keynote speakers.
While raising her family and working with public policy,
Karen builds broad coalitions of diverse groups to accomplish common
goals. These have included pro family, pro gun, taxpayer groups,
political leaders, military groups and religious leaders.
Karen is active with several organizations such as
Coalition of NH Taxpayers, Faith Based Action Network, Concerned Women
for America, The New Hampshire Alliance, NH Firearms Coalition, All
Stints Anglican Church, NH Right to Life, and the Abstinence Advisory
Committee of Health and Human Services. She was a founding board member
of the now National Heritage Center for Constitutional Studies and she
served as the co-chair to develop the Faith Based Community Initiative
in NMH and is a member of the NH Firearms Coalition and life member of
Gun Owners of NH. She was also the only NH representative to the First
Lady Laura Bush Conference on “Helping America’s Youth.”
Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and has
been certified to teach, and has taught science courses though the
college level. She is an accomplished vocalist, enjoys cooking, a
variety of needle works, the outdoors, and helping others
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