Karen Price-Ward

Karen Price-Ward is Southwest Airlines Corporate Community Affairs Manager. She is responsible for establishing and strengthening relationships with key businesses, civic/community, political leaders and influencers in the African American, Hispanic, Asian American, women, senior, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender markets across the country. Additionally, she aligns Southwest with key national and community based organizations by seeking board of director and/or committee positions, sponsoring key member events and attending networking functions. Moreover, she creates Public Relation events that foster goodwill in the community and assist the Corporate Communications team with managing the image and reputation of Southwest Airlines.

Mrs. Price-Ward began her career as an assistant buyer for 150 stores with a discount retailer. In 1995, she began her dream job with Southwest Airlines as a Marketing Manager in her home town of St. Louis, MO. In 1996, she transferred to Baltimore, MD as a Marketing Manager to serve the cities in the east. Later, she was promoted and became the first female African-American District Marketing Manager for Southwest Airlines and at the Company’s busiest East Coast destination. As the Mid-Atlantic District Marketing Manager she was responsible for coordinating Southwest’s marketing not only for the Baltimore and metropolitan areas of Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, but also locations in Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and Southern Virginia. Along with her public speaking and market analysis duties, her responsibilities included crisis management and legislative awareness.

Currently, she serves as a board member for the National Campaign to Stop Violence, Greater Washington Urban League, Baltimore Urban League, Northern Virginia Urban League, and National African American Women’s Leadership Institute. She also represents the airline as a supporter of the National Urban League’s Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP), the National Young Professionals (NYP), Chicago Urban League, Philadelphia Urban League, Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc, Bessie Coleman Foundation among other civic organizations. She is a mother of a son, daughter, and two toy poodles; wife; and MBA graduate from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School.

Mrs. Price-Ward enjoys working for Southwest Airlines and supporting community based initiatives so much that she states, “it does not feel like a job, but rather an opportunity to connect and give back to the community.