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August 21, 2025Karen Carpenter Chairs 2026 Go Red for Women Luncheon
Karen Carpenter’s grandmother and mother each had heart attacks when they were 52. Carpenter broke that chain by joining the American Heart Association’s BetterU class at the age of 52. The 12-week heart-health improvement program put Carpenter, the CEO of Vanderheyden, on a path of deep involvement with the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all.
After being part of the BetterU, a campaign of the Association’s Go Red for Women movement, Carpenter co-chaired the 2019 Capital Region Heart Walk; hosted stops of The Red Couch Tour; and moderated panel discussions at past Go Red for Women Luncheons.
This year, Carpenter is chairing the 2025 Capital Region Go Red for Women Luncheon, set for Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Albany Capital Center. She is leaning into the event’s mission of “Let’s Go Red, Together.”
The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement raises awareness about and the funds to fight heart disease in women.
“There isn’t anyone who isn’t talking about, or doesn’t need to talk about, heart disease in women,” Carpenter said. “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. I want women to know the warning signs of heart disease, and I want to push, push, push them to take action when they – or a woman they know – are experiencing those signs.”
Carpenter took her own advice last summer when she was visiting a friend at a lake and had symptoms that she knew could have been heart-related.
“I went to the Emergency Department in my bathing suit,” she said. “I just knew it was something to check out.”
It wasn’t cardiac, but it makes Carpenter stress her point even more, noting that women often brush things aside, or feel they don’t have time to go to the hospital.
“Are you worried about spending the day in the ER?” she asked. “We should worry instead about being around for the next birthday. We take care of everything and everyone. We need to take care of ourselves.”
The Go Red for Women Luncheon, Carpenter said, is a good place for women to take care of each other.
“The Luncheon showcases the spirit of women,” she said. “We celebrate each other and take care of each other’s health at the Luncheon. We’re also raising money to fund research and to educate people about heart disease. Go Red gives us all the strength to encourage one another to take action for yourself and other women.”
Currently the president and CEO of Vanderheyden, Carpenter has also been the commissioner of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Her undergraduate degree is from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and her master’s degree is from Adelphi University. She serves on several nonprofit boards. Originally from Horseheads, she now lives in Guilderland, and has two children, Kyle and Kyra, and her rescued Old English sheepdogs.
“I make my decisions about what I’m going to do in a day based on my family, my work and my community,” Carpenter said. “I have a special place in my heart for women advocating for women. I urge everyone to be part of the Go Red for Women Luncheon on Oct. 30.”
“Karen has a deep commitment to the American Heart Association, and I know she will bring the lifesaving message of Go Red to our entire community,” said Suzie Mookherjee, M.D., cardiologist at Albany Med Health System, co-chair with Carpenter of the 2019 Capital Region Heart Walk, and member of the board of directors of the American Heart Association in the Capital Region. “She has lived the mission for many years, and is committed to educating women, and raising funds to invest in research about women’s heart health.”
A committee of women are working with Carpenter to make the Luncheon a success. That includes:
Barbara Collura, Esq.
Katrina Consiglio
Robbin Jorgenson
Ruth Mahoney
Lynn Ortale
Chelsea Palmer
Anne Saile
Cathlene Schwartzbeck
For information or tickets to the Go Red for Women Luncheon, click here.
