Our Team

Meet the MQG Staff

Want to reach out to the MQG? Do you have a specific question and are curious about whom to ask? Reach out to our staff or board members.

The staff is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organization, and the volunteer board is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization. If you’re not sure who to contact, inquiries will get forwarded to the appropriate staff member. 

Contact Us

Karen Cooper

Executive Director

Karen has been quilting for more than 20 years, ever since her then-6-year-old daughter requested a quilt for her dolls. She currently quilts for the enjoyment of her dog Wrecks and her cat Franklin Dale (and sometimes for her daughter and her husband). She is usually creating some sort of log cabin quilt but when she isn’t, she can be found on the patio with a good historical novel. Before joining the staff of the MQG, Karen served as the associate executive director of Turfgrass Producers International and as the Sr. Manager of Conference Education for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Elizabeth Dackson

Director of Events

Elizabeth has been with the MQG since 2013 after working in continuing medical education, and has been an event planner since 2005. She begun her quilting journey in 2010 and has been collecting fabric ever since! She also loves knitting and reading, preferably at the same time. Elizabeth is mom to two kids and lives in North Carolina with her husband, kids, George Weasley von Pringle the orange cat, Maximus the goldendoodle, and Poppy the lab mix. 

Amanda Bernay

Director of Partnerships

Amanda has been with the MQG since 2016 after needing a change from a career in public education. She started quilting in 2011 and loves making all kinds of quilts, but her real love is handwork (piecing, quilting, EPP, etc.) Besides quilting, she is an avid reader, animal lover, and aspiring gardener. She lives in Austin with her husband, two sons, and two naughty cats.

Jennifer Fisher

Membership Manager

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Darci Read

Creative Director

In addition to keeping the MQG brand on track, Darci does all the behind-the-scenes work with the MQG's digital properties. She came to the MQG after a career in advertising, along with some stops as the Membership Director at a natural foods co-op. Her dedication to member-based organizations brought her back to the non-profit world and she loves to continue to improve the digital footprint of the MQG. Darci lives in St. Paul, MN, with her family, an opinionated chihuahua, and a flock of backyard chickens. 

Jessica Plunkett

Program Specialist

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Isabelle Selak

Partnerships Assistant

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Kelsey Bellmore

Events Assistant

Suspendisse at elementum nisl, vehicula semper felis. Nunc aliquam tincidunt ex, a semper turpis molestie nec. Integer vitae pretium enim, at tristique odio. Praesent in tellus porta, ultricies nibh quis, vestibulum enim. Curabitur nisi odio, volutpat vel sodales ut, blandit ut orci. Aenean ut lectus ac ex accumsan egestas. Fusce fermentum porta tellus. Suspendisse congue ultricies ligula, non porta felis feugiat eu.