Karen Penafiel

Karen Penafiel joined the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International in December, 1989 and serves as vice president of the advocacy, codes and standards division of the association. In this capacity, Karen leads BOMA’s federal and state advocacy programs and oversees BOMA’s model building codes and voluntary standards efforts. As the association’s chief lobbyist, she works with Congress and the federal agencies on a wide range of issues affecting the commercial real estate industry. Karen has taken the lead on energy and sustainability issues for BOMA for the past decade and is the author of BOMA International’s two guidance documents on electricity deregulation. She is currently leading the association’s market transformation efforts and helped develop BOMA’s green lease guides.