Karen Stone has a passion for community safety standards and ethics. That passion makes her well suited to join ACP Council as its newest public member.
Karen has demonstrated her passion for safety and fairness throughout her life. Karen grew up and eventually studied law in South Africa during the Apartheid regime. When she started her career as a lawyer, there was a huge need for transformation at the highest level.
“I started my career by getting involved in human rights work,” said Karen, who now calls Edmonton home. “It evolved from there because I truly believe that if we all operate with integrity and respect, we can actually make the world a better place. My passion for equity, safety, and ethics translates into pretty much everything that I have done in my career.”
Karen’s first position was with a group called Lawyers for Human Rights—a national nonprofit that dealt with all the human rights issues within a country that was under the apartheid regime.
“I was able to work on specific projects, specifically in relation to HIV-AIDS and the law, child juvenile justice, and others,” said Karen. “I worked with the police, because once Nelson Mandela came to power, we had to transform a police force that had been enforcing apartheid legislation to understanding that they were now operating within a human rights regime. So very different approaches.”
Following that work, Karen was asked to lead the South African Human Rights Commission for her province of KwaZulu-Natal.
“We started to administer cases of human rights violations with our new Bill of Rights, and that was incredible work because we had to teach people about their rights so that they understood where their rights were being violated,” she said. “Simultaneously, we had to take transgressions of rights forward and ensure that we stopped people from having their rights abused. We also had to influence any legislation that was coming out and make sure that it was compatible with the new constitution and with the Bill of Rights. It was incredibly demanding but so rewarding to be in a position where you can actually achieve change. It was a really exciting time.”
Eventually, Karen and her family emigrated to Canada, a country known for its safety record and that aligned with her values such as universal access to health care and education. In Alberta, Karen has worked as an advocate for social justice, with a high priority on the provision and sustainability of affordable housing. She also served as registrar and CEO of the College of Medical, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Technologists. This experience should prove valuable as a member of ACP Council.
“I think it’s a vital piece of the puzzle because I understand the Health Professions Act in depth and understand how important regulation is to the public interest,” she said. “I also understand how each profession is filled with incredible professionals who are passionate about ensuring that their own profession is at all times perceived as delivering quality services and meeting standards that are expected across the spectrum.”
Karen, whose three-year term began February 6, 2026, attended her first Council meeting in April. She is excited to once again be part of regulating health professionals, this time as a public member.
“I think extraordinarily highly of the pharmacy profession and have always held ACP in high regard because it has a reputation of seeking to be a leader within the health regulatory environment,” she said. “With the leadership change and new strategic plan, this is an exciting time to step into ACP. I believe that I can bring some benefits, through my skills and expertise, that may be useful at the Council table.”
