Mayor Sue Finkam announced March 18 that she has appointed Samantha Karn to serve as corporation counsel for the City of Carmel.
With extensive experience as legal counsel for municipalities, the health care industry and higher education, Karn will serve on Finkam’s leadership team and provide legal counsel for the mayor’s office and all city departments.
Karn begins her role April 9.
“I am so excited for Samantha to join my executive leadership team and am grateful to have the legal counsel of someone with her extensive knowledge and experience,” Finkam stated in a news release about the announcement. “I look forward to working with her as a strategic partner on issues ranging from public safety to transparency in order to ensure that the priorities of my office are supported with expert legal counsel and care.”
Karn previously served as corporation counsel for the City of Indianapolis and was a cabinet member and legal and policy advisor to former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. She managed the city’s legal office and oversaw teams negotiating collective bargaining agreements, the modernization of the city’s parking meter system and high-profile civil cases, according to the news release.
For the past six years, Karn has advised on complex labor and employment matters for Ascension Health Alliance and spent the preceding four years in vice president and general counsel roles for the University of Indianapolis, managing a portfolio of diverse issues including university policy, risk management and compliance and associate relations, according to the release.
“(Finkam) is putting together an outstanding team, and I’m honored for the opportunity to bring my energy and experience to serve the City of Carmel in her administration,” Karn stated. “I am passionate about working on issues that impact citizens every day and look forward to being a part of the city’s progress for years to come.”
Karn is a graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and received her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University, where she was a member of The Roadrunners Women’s Championship Little 500 Team. She is also a graduate of The Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series.
