Thank You Karen Laksamana
Although Karen earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Art, specializing in Graphic Design from Portland State University in 1998, she had worked in graphic design and web development since 1997. She joined Formations Design Group that year as an intern, became co-owner in 2006 when one of the original partners retired, and then became sole owner when her business partner, who now contracts for her, semi-retired in 2021.
“We started building websites in the late ‘90s,” she explains, “because there was such a demand for it. We are now a full-service website development and graphic design agency, providing everything from content management, web business applications and e-commerce to complete site maintenance, SEO, hosting and email services. In addition, we help our clients with such print media needs as packaging design, annual reports, corporate brochures, logo designs and signage. Some of our local clients include Clark County, Walk & Knock, Cedar Creek Grist Mill and the Vancouver Housing Authority.
“In 2008, one of our clients, Glen Aronson at Iron Gate Storage, asked if we would be willing to overhaul the Furry Friends website pro bono. I love cats, so this request definitely landed in my lap! It’s always fun to do a web project without a budget attached because I’m allowed free rein, and I was thrilled to help elevate Furry Friends’ online presence as well as design some brochures and business cards for them. By the following year, I helped develop a computer-based checkout system for the fundraiser auction.”
A Silver Sponsor since August, Karen had been considering it for a while. Since handing off her auction check-out duties to a new set of volunteers, she regretted that she didn’t have more “hands-on time” to volunteer. She had been donating randomly but wanted to be more deliberate about her financial contribution. When she was buying an auction ticket, she was presented with the sponsorship option, prompting her to move ahead with it.
“Currently a back-up support person for the website, I helped with the Furry Friends garage sale this year. Not only was it gratifying to do, but it also allowed me to connect with so many new volunteers. Turns out that VP Brandi Towner and I went to preschool and grade school together, and she recognized me!
“I’m proud to be part of Furry Friends because your leadership and volunteers are so amazing. I’m wowed by everyone’s passion and LOVE for the cats you rescue! You spend so much time and effort and have such lofty goals for the organization that you keep meeting and exceeding. I’m also pleased that I was able to help you take a big leap forward from a technical standpoint back in 2008. The new website gave Furry Friends ‘more legitimacy’ as an organization allowing you to attract more donors.”
Admittedly paying a great deal of attention to politics these days, Karen, who’s been married to her husband Neil for 19 years and has an 11-year-old daughter Macie, is extremely interested in protecting women’s rights and supporting others who feel the same way. Besides Furry Friends, she also tries to support other local animal rescues such as I Paw’d it Forward and DogPaw. The family currently has Loki, a 3-year-old golden retriever and three cats: 14-year-old Riley, 4-year-old Tzaki and 1-year-old Kaiju. When they lost their other two older cats it broke Karen’s heart.
As for her outside talents and interests, Karen proudly admits, “I’m a pool player! I had played for many years and returned to playing on a league a few years ago. I also like trail running (when I’m not dealing with foot injuries), walk a lot of 5Ks with my mom and go camping with my family.”
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Furry Friends VIP Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
