“People move here for the hometown feel. There’s room to grow but we could lose that with too much growth. Inclusiveness and connections among people who care about community are a powerful motivator. We call Seeker Vineyard the winery with heart because we want everyone to feel welcome.”
In 1978, Karen Seeker made her way from Illinois to Hollywood hoping to put her Bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts to work as an actress. While there she started a theater on Sunset Boulevard. Five years later she shifted gears. Returning to Illinois, she earned an M.S. degree in Curriculum and Instruction/Instructional Systems Design, and landed an internship at AT&T Bell Labs. Her career in the emerging field of Process Quality Management Improvement took off. She built a lucrative management-level consulting business providing performance training and organizational development for organizations including Richard Chang Associates, GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN Metagenics, Moss Adams, and Lawrence Livermore National Labs. Today, Karen continues to provide specialized consulting around team and leadership development. In 2011, Karen and her husband bought a vineyard property in San Martin. They made wine the first year “just for fun” and enjoyed it so much that in 2015 they opened their doors as Seeker Vineyards. Since then, they have taken home gold and silver awards for their wines. Since 2016, Karen has served as Board President of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, where she is helping the organization to increase the visibility of the Santa Clara Valley AVA. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 gmhtoday.com 31