Credo COO Karen Neumair feels she’s reached a rewarding end of a journey when she can celebrate a noteworthy milestone with the dozens of authors she works with.

“The most powerful moment for me is holding an author’s book in my hands for the first time,” says Karen. “All the work we’ve done to put together this beautiful product makes the time and effort worth it.”

As a Credo agent, Karen makes it her mission to match authors with the right publisher. She accomplishes this all-important task by assisting authors with their book proposals and connecting them with potential publishers.

“Most authors don’t know the more than 200 editors who are on my list, and that number is frequently growing,” says Karen. “We have a lot of connections.”

Karen became connected with the world of Christian publishing shortly before she graduated from Cornerstone University and Kuyper College, where she distinguished her academic career by graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Theology and a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Karen initially had an eye on a career in education and was set to begin her final semester of student teaching when she sensed God had other plans for her life’s direction. Her English professor and mentor asked if she had ever considered a career in editing and publishing. It was the Aha! moment Karen had been waiting for. Her professor soon introduced her to Credo founder and president Tim Beals. After initially serving as an intern, Karen joined the company in 2009 as a literary agent and was promoted to Senior Literary Agent four years later.

Most of the time, Karen works alongside authors writing for a 20- to 30-something reading audience pertaining to spiritual growth, as well as topics geared toward women. After becoming the Chief Operating Officer in 2018, her responsibilities expanded to also include agency innovation, staff development, strategic author acquisitions, and oversight of publisher relations.

“It’s so empowering to my authors and to me to get our passion out there and to share it with other believers,” says Karen.

Originally from the Chicago area, Karen now lives in Grand Rapids with her husband and their four children. Even though she spends her work-week poring over book proposals and manuscripts, Karen’s idea of a refreshing time alone is to grab a good book and read it fireside at her local public library.

Despite her academic and career accomplishments, Karen’s highest priority is to be known as a woman who walks with God.