Executive Director

Karen Sullivan, an Eastern NC native, is a graduate of East Carolina University. Karen spent the first part of her career in corporate marketing and branding but found her passion in nonprofit work. She has worked as the Marketing Director for international nonprofits in hunger relief at Rise Against Hunger and clean water access with Wine To Water, and also locally, leading the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County. Karen briefly left nonprofit work to take over the family business in Goldsboro, NC for six years but felt the pull to go back to nonprofit work. She became the Executive Director of Swiss Bear, Inc. in 2024. She also serves on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the downtown New Bern MSD working group. Karen lives in New Bern with her faithful sidekick, her morkie Ruby.

Event Specialist

Mary Hannah Parker joined Swiss Bear in 2025 as the Event Specialist. A proud graduate of North Carolina State University, Mary Hannah has a diverse career journey, with experiences in operations within collegiate athletics and, most recently, supporting business development in Eastern NC for a small recruiting firm based in Raleigh. Passionate about creating seamless events and memorable experiences, she is excited to contribute to the continued success of downtown New Bern events. She moved to New Bern in early 2024 with her husband, Jason, and enjoys spending time at the beach and with friends and family.