Tyson Foods has appointed Karen Knutson to be senior vice president for global government affairs.  Knutson will be based in Washington, D.C. and will lead all the government relations activities for the company and its subsidiaries, including state, federal and international aspects.

Knutson, who joins Tyson from General Electric, where she was the Government Affairs and Policy Leader.  She has 30 years experience in government-related roles, including serving as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director in the U.S. Senate and Deputy Assistant to Vice President Cheney for domestic policy.

“Karen brings extraordinary energy, strategic vision, and deep domestic and international expertise to this role. As our company grows, we need the right team to navigate us through increasingly complex policy issues in a dynamic political landscape,” Amy Tu, executive vice president and general counsel for Tyson Foods, said in a press release. “With Karen’s leadership and vision, “Tyson Foods will be well-prepared to address the challenging issues facing our company today and tomorrow,” Tu said.

A native of Alaska, Knutson has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alaska and a law degree from Wake Forest University.