Some people who listen to the ButteCast today are only doing so because of the work of Karen Sullivan.

It really is that simple.

While some might see her as the “Karen” who canceled Butte’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration during the COVID-19 pandemic, we see her as the strong, courageous leader whose work helped save lives.

It is hard to say how many lives Sullivan and her crew saved when she was serving as Butte-Silver Bow’s health officer. But it could have been yours. Or mine.

Now retired, Sullivan is living in her beloved hometown with her husband, John. She passionately follows the Red Sox, Notre Dame and Grizzlies while taking care of her new rescue dog, Yaz, who is named after Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski. 

Click here to listen in as Sullivan discusses her upbringing, her education, her passion for public health and her professional career, which began as a reporter in smalltown Montana and ended as an Associated Press reporter in Boston.