20 July 2026
/ Karen Meder Holland
Strategic Leadership: Dr. Karen Meder Holland Completes Doctoral Studies
CLEVELAND - Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A. is proud to congratulate Karen Meder Holland, Director of Human Resources, on earning her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Human Resources from Liberty University.
Karen began her doctoral journey in 2019, completing 60 credit hours before spending nearly two years in the dissertation phase. Her research, “Managing Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction and the Impact on Voluntary Turnover,” identified seven strategic initiatives to strengthen employee retention and reinforce the firm’s long-term success.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for learning and guided by mentors who modeled servant leadership, Karen balanced the demands of career, family, and higher education with unwavering determination. For Karen, earning her doctorate reflects a deep commitment to continuous personal growth and to advancing the firm’s people-first culture. Her leadership philosophy remains centered on empowering others and creating opportunities for them to thrive.
No accomplishment is achieved alone, and Karen is quick to acknowledge those who helped shape her journey. She credits Dr. Lori Johnson-Vegas, her doctoral chair and mentor, for providing invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout the process. She also recognizes Dr. Param Srikantia of Baldwin Wallace University for instilling the principles of servant leadership and personal growth that continue to influence her today, and she is grateful for the example of principled, integrity-driven leadership set by Dr. Rich Diddams, Dean of Liberty University’s College of Business.
Karen began her doctoral journey in 2019, completing 60 credit hours before spending nearly two years in the dissertation phase. Her research, “Managing Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction and the Impact on Voluntary Turnover,” identified seven strategic initiatives to strengthen employee retention and reinforce the firm’s long-term success.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for learning and guided by mentors who modeled servant leadership, Karen balanced the demands of career, family, and higher education with unwavering determination. For Karen, earning her doctorate reflects a deep commitment to continuous personal growth and to advancing the firm’s people-first culture. Her leadership philosophy remains centered on empowering others and creating opportunities for them to thrive.
No accomplishment is achieved alone, and Karen is quick to acknowledge those who helped shape her journey. She credits Dr. Lori Johnson-Vegas, her doctoral chair and mentor, for providing invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout the process. She also recognizes Dr. Param Srikantia of Baldwin Wallace University for instilling the principles of servant leadership and personal growth that continue to influence her today, and she is grateful for the example of principled, integrity-driven leadership set by Dr. Rich Diddams, Dean of Liberty University’s College of Business.
(Pictured left to right: Dr. Karen Meder Holland and Dr. Rich Diddams.)
“My goal is to use the insights gained throughout my doctoral journey to empower my team, grounded in a servant-leadership approach that prioritizes their development and success,” said Dr. Meder Holland. “Beyond the HR department, I will leverage my doctoral expertise to advance the firm’s human capital strategies, reinforcing HR’s role as a vital component of strategic leadership and long-term success.”
While balancing a dedicated family life as a mother of eight and grandmother of seven, Karen continues to live by the philosophy that guided her doctoral journey: “Don’t settle for second best. Don’t ever quit. Let your vision become an obsessive reality.”
Congratulations to Dr. Meder Holland on this remarkable achievement and her continued dedication to leadership, learning, and the success of the firm and those it serves.
To learn more about Dr. Meder Holland or Weltman’s culture, please contact her at KMederHolland@Weltman.com.
This blog is not a solicitation for business, and it is not intended to constitute legal advice on specific matters, create an attorney-client relationship or be legally binding in any way.
