Advanced Insights Group, Inc.
Providing informed and relevant perspective and advice
AIG Leadership
Karen Landis Knauf
Chief Executive Officer/Chief Financial Officer (CEO/CFO)
Ms. Knauf serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Advanced Insights Group, Inc. The Albuquerque, N.M.-based company provides a broad base of consultant services to government agencies and national security, economic development, workforce development and education-related clients in the private sector.
She is an energetic proven leader and manager with broad experience in technology markets and technical and community outreach organizations. Ms. Knauf’s expertise includes program management and development, event management, strategic planning, budget forecasting and cost analysis, business and technical staff training, and interpretation of complex government policies/regulations.
In addition to her private, public and non-profit sector project and contract management experience with multiple education and social organizations, Ms. Knauf’s career includes planning and managing the largest charitable community sevice event ever held in New Mexico, as well as the development of corporate planning strategies for the former BDM Corporation in McLean, Va. She also created planning strategies and research and development budget distribution strategies at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Palo Alto, Calif., where she was accountable for the operational management and allocation of an $80 million annual budget. While at both BDM and Lockheed, she also directed the planning and management of technical conferences and workshops.
From 1986 through 1996, Ms. Knauf served in various managerial and oversight positions at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), working in the Controller’s Office, Finance Department and Program Development Office. She administered the laboratory’s annual billion-dollar budget, which included:
- preparing the annual field budget submissions to the DOE, negotiating contract modifications with the lab’s federal sponsors
- developing financial policies and procedures for the laboratory
- overseeing the LLNL Work-for-Others Program and institutional program development
Ms. Knauf also worked for the Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning in Virginia and operated her own consulting firm, Diablo Associates, in Alamo, Calif. She is adept at analyzing the fiscal impact of publicly funded programs such as land-use plans, conducting community economic analyses and overseeing the generation of financial feasibility data reporting.
As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Danville Chamber of Commerce in Danville, Calif. from 1998 to 2001, Ms. Knauf served as a liaison between the business community and local government and spearheaded the successful effort to expand Danville's economic base.
In addition, she has worked with numerous community-based and charitable organizations, such as Wardrobe for Opportunity in Walnut Creek, Calif., and served on the boards of directors of the Musical Theater of the Southwest; Congregation Albert; and Jewish Family Service of New Mexico. She is a member of the Albuquerque Academy Board of Trustees and served as President of the school’s Parents Association from 2006 to 2007.
Ms. Knauf has a bachelor of science in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from The American University in Washington, D.C. She has taught graduate-level courses in urban and regional economics as an adjunct faculty member at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
William M. Knauf
President
Mr. Knauf co-founded Advanced Insights Group, Inc. in October 2005. The Albuquerque, N.M.-based company provides a broad range of consultant services to a number of federal, state and private-sector national security, economic development, workforce development and education-related clients.
From 1994 until October 2005, Mr. Knauf served as Deputy Director and Chief of Staff for Sandia National Laboratories’ national security programs. He was responsible for overseeing all program operations and administration, maintaining operations and program-related executive-level management interactions with the U.S. Departments of Energy, State and Homeland Security, and the national intelligence agencies. He also supported Sandia’s President, directing and maintaining selected corporate development initiatives with the political, business and education communities in New Mexico.
Before coming to Sandia, Mr. Knauf was Vice President for Defense Programs and Albuquerque Operations for the Battelle Memorial Institute. He represented Battelle corporately and directed all of its operations and activities that supported the DOE’s weapons programs. He was also responsible for the development and oversight of Battelle’s business in the Southwest.
He joined the private non-profit applied science and technology development company in 1987. During his tenure there, he managed strategic planning programs and activities for the Battelle Project Management Division and the Nuclear Systems and Energy Systems business groups. He also served as Vice President for Battelle’s Transportation Programs, directing and managing large-scale, multidisciplinary technical support programs and projects for federal, state and industrial customers.
During more than 20 years of public service, Mr. Knauf held senior-level appointed positions with the U.S. Departments of State and Energy in Washington D.C. His DOE assignments were primarily with defense programs. He also served as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives and an administrative and assistant investigative counsel to the U.S. Senate Government Operations Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Mr. Knauf is also a veteran, having served tours of duty as an Army intelligence and infantry officer in Europe, Vietnam and the United States.
Mr. Knauf has chaired or served on many task forces and technical committees, including:
- DOE National Task Force on Combating Terrorism
- DOE Secretary’s Security Program Special Study
- Sandia National Security Advisory Panel
- DOE Safeguards and Security Standards and Criteria Senior Review Panel
- DOE Weapons Program Modernization Task Force
- Institute of Nuclear Materials Management. (Senior Member)
Mr. Knauf has also been a leader in his community. He has chaired the boards of New Mexico First, Junior Achievement of New Mexico, the Middle Rio Grande Business and Education Collaborative and the Albuquerque Business and Education Compact. He also served on the Executive Board of the Waste Management Education and Research Consortium and YES Housing, Inc. and is involved with the Albuquerque Economic Forum, both the Greater Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Hispano Chambers of Commerce, the Association of Commerce and Industry of New Mexico, New Mexico First and the New Mexico Amigos.
Mr. Knauf has actively supported other education and economic development activities, including the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education, New Mexico MESA, Youth Development Incorporated, Leadership Albuquerque, Shared Vision and the Mayor’s Forum for Economic Development among others.
He is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.