Born and raised in Central Ohio, Karen Waldbillig Kasich obtained a bachelor’s degree in communications from The Ohio State University. Mrs. Kasich established a career in health care, public relations, and marketing that spanned nearly two decades. She last served as a vice president with GSW Worldwide, an agency focused on health care and the pharmaceutical industry.

Mrs. Kasich is passionate about her role as mother to her children and views it as her top priority. As first lady of Ohio, she is also honored to have an opportunity to increase awareness on topics that are near and dear to her heart: health and wellness and the prevention of childhood obesity. Currently, she serves on the Ohio Valley’s Go Red for Women Council, an educational program created by the American Heart Association that empowers women to live heart-healthy lifestyles, and the public relations advisory board for The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

The first lady and her husband, Governor John Kasich, were married in 1997 and have two children, twin daughters Emma and Reese.