On a warm summer afternoon at the Sharlot Hall Museum, Arizona Roundup host Stuart Rosebrook welcomed a woman whose name has become synonymous with both leadership and perseverance in Arizona: Karen Fann. As the former president of the Arizona Senate—the second woman in state history to hold that role—and a trailblazing businesswoman, Karen’s story is one of grit, resilience, and service.

From Small-Town Roots to Big Horizons

Karen moved to Prescott in 1958, when the population was barely 6,000 and Prescott Valley was still known as Jackass Flat. Her father, a Navy veteran, and her great uncle, Sid Webb, helped shape the community through contracting and civic involvement. Karen recalled a childhood where “everybody knew everybody”—and where, she joked, “you couldn’t ditch school or church because word would get back home before you did.”

Though her path took her beyond Prescott for a time—working for airlines in Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Phoenix—her heart always pulled her home. That homecoming would eventually lead her into entrepreneurship, public service, and statewide leadership.