Distinguished Community Service

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away – called Nebraska – Karen and Don Donovan packed their bags to move to Rancho Cordova CA. That was 1959 and the young couple was looking to join family in a new little community about which they had heard many good things.

She could not have known then that someday she would be in front of her community honoring her decades of Distinguished Community Service.

A sky full of rumbling jets overhead must have been something of a siren song for Karen back in ‘59. Before long, she found herself taking a typing test, which she passed on the second round, and a new job at Mather Air Force Base was hers.

As a navigation training school, she recalls processing classified information, sometimes with an Air Force officer at her side. She was soon promoted to secretary to the Commander of the 2034 Communication Squadron, a position she held for 32 years until the base was shuttered in 1993.

With a lifetime of valuable experience and time on her hands, Karen was volunteering at Kaiser Permanente when her daughter told her about the opening of the first Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Service Center in Rancho Cordova. So, in 1993, just a few months retired, Karen was back behind a desk, this time as a volunteer.

According to Karen, she made the switch to the Sheriff’s Department for two reasons:

Number one: Why drive when she could work in her own community?

And number two: Why work with old ladies when you can surround yourself with young hunks?

For the next 25 years, Karen worked with both -- as an outstanding volunteer with the Sheriff’s Department, and after incorporation of the city, the Rancho Cordova Police Department.

She has entered statistics for the gang unit. Assisted the traffic unit entering DUI citations and filling out collision reports. She has completed reports for trespassing notices, processed citations for shoplifters, taken messages for the Red Light Ticket Line (that must have been an ear-full!) and maintained stats for the Crime Suppression Unit. And so much more.

As something of a Mother Hen at the department, she has celebrated as officers she knew so well have been honored and promoted.  

Karen was doing such a great job for law enforcement in the community, at the urging of the Chief, the Cordova Community Council actually awarded her this same honor way back in 2003, some 16 years ago. What we didn’t know then is that Karen was just getting started.

Today, Karen is 85 years young and a remarkable example of community volunteers who make up The Force in Rancho Cordova. She was honored just a few months ago for 25 years of valuable volunteer service by the City of Rancho Cordova and Rancho Cordova Police Department.

Karen, we are honored to join them in recognizing your extraordinary quarter century of volunteer service. You have given not only to the officers and staff at the Rancho Cordova Police Department, but also to the 70,000 citizens they serve every minute of every day. You are appreciated. Thank you and congratulations!