Karen Buckels grew up in district 61, attending Marion Hills Elementary and Eisenhower Jr. High. Mrs. Buckels attended Hinsdale South High School and continued on to graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BS in Business Management. Mrs. Buckels left her career in account management in 2013 to dedicate more time to her growing family. Since then, she has been an active volunteer in the community and on the Delay/Lace PTA board for 6 years. Karen and her husband Danny have 3 daughters, Kayla (8th grade), Katelyn (5th grade), and Kendall (4th grade).