Karen Ottman began her employment with Shasta County in 2005 as an extra help employee in Health and Human Services, before being hired to a full-time position in 2006. During her 20 years of service to Shasta County, Karen has promoted through various roles, culminating in her current position as an Eligibility Supervisor. She develops an organizational culture that fosters teamwork through team building exercises and empowering staff to create their own exercises to present to the unit. Karen’s trainers demonstrate positivity and warmth when guiding new employees, exemplifying the supportive and welcoming environment she has cultivated in the unit. Karen is one of the first people to volunteer to assist other units for coverage at the Cascade building or at one of the other regional locations. She is eager to do the work of her staff and admits to loving it, with the belief that if leadership is not able to do the work of their team, how are they to understand the struggles and problems their employees face. This knowledge is essential in bridging the gap in understanding between leadership and front-line workers.
When Karen is faced with a problem, she considers all options in developing a solution. As a supervisor of the training unit, Karen is sure to be on top of any policy or procedure change and ensures concise explanations to guarantee the process is understood. She considers the needs of all stakeholders in the workflow process to make sure everyone’s part is considered, which is important to the success of the agency. Karen embodies commitment to ensuring clients leave with helpful information, even if their initial request cannot be fulfilled. She is committed to quality and excellence in everything she does. She is continuously seeking feedback from both trainees and eligibility leadership in how things are going with induction training and gathering input on opportunities for improvement when needed.
Karen has a tremendous leadership spirit that focuses on the success of our team and the agency as a whole. She has a high level of openness and authentic warmth that makes the rest of the team members feel welcome and heard. Karen clearly takes pride in her work and strives to assess and improve her own work performance regularly, not afraid to admit when she has made a mistake, a sign of a true leader. Karen is a true believer that it takes all of us to help the members of our community who need it most and she is the true standard of a worker for HHSA, showing kindness and compassion to all.
Please join us in congratulating Karen Ottman, Eligibility Supervisor, in the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency as the Employee of the Month for December 2025.