Photo Courtesy of Karla Youngblood
By Mishaal Khan ’25
Staff Writer
With the inception of the 2022 spring semester, the Mount Holyoke College staff welcomes Karla Youngblood FP ’99 as the associate vice president for Facilities Management.
“I will lead the facilities team, … the central energy plant, all the trades, all of the … custodial, housekeepers, all of that falls under the associate vice president of facilities management,” Youngblood said. “It’s really making sure that [the staff are] plugged into the greater mission of the College and being a conduit.”
Youngblood is an alumna of the Frances Perkins Program at Mount Holyoke College. After graduating, she went on to pursue a career in facilities planning and management within the Five College consortium.
“I majored in Russian and Eurasian Studies, but clearly you can see I built a career in Facilities Planning and Management … Really, it was the skills of agility and creativity that I honed here as a student that helped me find my way, not only to my field of interest but also in a profession that is male-dominated,” Youngblood said. “I really attribute that, [and] the success I’ve had so far, to my experience as a student [at Mount Holyoke].”
Youngblood first began her career within the Five Colleges as the Director of Facilities for Smith College for seven years, followed by a similar position at Amherst College before returning to Mount Holyoke. She stated that she has loved living in this area and is glad for the ability to work close to where she lives.
“The Five Colleges … give many of us an opportunity to try new things [and] grow in our careers without needing to relocate, and you see it all the time, the movement between colleges among staff,” Youngblood stated.
Being a Francis Perkins scholar, Youngblood noted that although she didn’t finish college at the traditional age, she was inspired to return and complete her degree when she moved into the Five College area. The academic community within the region sparked her interest in returning to school, especially since the Russian and Eurasian studies department at Mount Holyoke grasped her attention. While she enjoyed pursuing this major, Youngblood’s career took a different path.
Youngblood credits her comfort in taking a career path separate from what she studied during her time at Mount Holyoke to her alma mater.
“Mount Holyoke teaches us how to think, how to speak [and] how to write … liberal arts education is wonderful in that the boundaries are unlimited. You can take those skills and apply them … where your interest lies,” Youngblood said.
Although she only just returned to Mount Holyoke, Youngblood has been overwhelmed with the nostalgia of her previous college days.
“I’ve only been on campus [for] a week but in that short amount of time, I’ve been surprised by how much it feels like home,” Youngblood said. “It’s really an honor to return to the College in a leadership role, with responsibility for our buildings and our grounds and the ability to help shape an inclusive sense of space. That was really important to me.”
Youngblood is thrilled to give back to the school that gave so much to her and rejoin the community here at Mount Holyoke, especially when she walks the grounds and sees students and staff alike. Youngblood concluded, “[The campus] has the same heart and soul that I recall.”