Karen Floyd

Karen Floyd
Karen Floyd - Publisher photo for the Winter 2016-2017 issue of Elysian Magazine
Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party
In office
May 2009 – May 7, 2011
Preceded byKaton Dawson
Succeeded byChad Connelly
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
Alma materUniversity of South Carolina School of Law (1986)
Websitehttp://www.karenfloyd.com/

Karen Floyd is an American publisher, filmmaker, attorney, and former politician from South Carolina. She was the first woman to serve as chair of the Spartanburg County Council and chaired the South Carolina Republican Party from 2009 to 2011. In 2006, she was the Republican nominee for South Carolina Superintendent of Education, losing by a narrow margin. Floyd is the founder and chief executive officer of The Palladian Group, a marketing and communications firm, and the publisher of Elysian, a women’s lifestyle magazine. Her career includes work in law, business, politics, media, and film production.

Education

Floyd earned her bachelor's degree from Goucher College in Maryland and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she served as president of the Student Bar Association.[1][2] She attended the Aspen Institute and is a Liberty Fellow, Class of 2008.[1][3]

Floyd began her career as a prosecutor in South Carolina’s 7th Judicial Circuit, concentrating on cases of child abuse and sexual assault.[4] She later became a partner at the law firm King, Hray and Kanes.[1] In 1992, she was appointed a magistrate judge in Spartanburg County and subsequently became Chief Magistrate, the first woman to hold that role in the state.[5] During her tenure, Floyd implemented operational changes aimed at reducing costs and increasing efficiency. She served as chief magistrate from 1992 to 1994 before transitioning to the private sector.[5]

After leaving the judiciary, Floyd joined Flagstar Corporation, the parent company of the Denny’s restaurant chain, where she held various executive roles, including vice president.[2] In 1999, she established The Palladian Group, a marketing, technology, and development firm.[6] In 2015, Floyd founded Palladian Publications and began publishing Elysian magazine, with the first issue released in February 2016.[7]

Floyd has also served on the boards of The Arts Partnership of Spartanburg and the Department of Natural Resources, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, and the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the Spartanburg Development Council.[1]

Political life

Floyd was elected to the Spartanburg County Council in 1998 and later became its first female chair. She served on the council for four years.[8][9] In 2006, she was the Republican nominee for South Carolina Superintendent of Education, advocating for policies such as school choice and tax credits for private school tuition.[10] The election was decided by a margin of only 455 votes, with Democrat Jim Rex declared the winner.[11]

In 2009, Floyd was elected chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, becoming the first woman to hold the post.[2] She led the party during the 2010 midterm elections with positive results, but did not seek reelection and concluded her term in 2011.[2]

Floyd has also served in appointed roles, including as a member of the board of directors of the South Carolina Ports Authority, where she was treasurer. Her term ended in 2013.[2][4]

Media and Publications

After her tenure in political office, Floyd expanded into media and publishing. In 2011, she launched Palladian View, a digital platfrom for conservative women in the Republican Party.[12] In 2015, she founded Elysian Magazine, a quarterly publication focusing on women’s interests.[7]

Floyd has served as executive producer on four documentary films: two related to CatWalk FurBaby, which documents a charity fashion event benefiting animal rescue organizations, and two films about the war in Ukraine.[13][9] Fight for Ukraine: 12 Women’s War documents the perspectives of Ukrainian women and has received multiple film festival awards.[14] Floyd met the film’s subjects during her travels in Ukraine in early 2023. Later that year, she returned to Ukraine to produce Ukraine: For the Children, a 93-minute documentary.[9] The film premiered at a private screening in Charleston, South Carolina, on July 30, 2024. An abbreviated version was later screened at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and another screening was held in Rome in conjunction with a Vatican panel on world peace, moderated by Floyd.[15][16]

In May 2025, Floyd was awarded the Âme de lumière ("Soul of Light") Impact in Cinema Award at the Cannes Sustainable Responsibility Gala.[17]

Personal life

Floyd resides in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with her husband, Gordon Floyd.[2] They have two sons. In 2010, she received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian award.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Karen Floyd". Liberty Fellowship. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "2011-2012 Bill 937: Karen Kanes Floyd - South Carolina Legislature Online". www.scstatehouse.gov. 2011-05-31. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  3. ^ "User Profile". AGLN - Aspen Global Leadership Network.
  4. ^ a b "Karen Floyd Bio" (PDF). Couture Closets.
  5. ^ a b Paslay, J.B. (2021-11-25). Spartanburg People's Court: The History of Spartanburg County Magistrate's Court. ISBN 9798773899204.
  6. ^ "Marketing Agency - Public Affairs | The Palladian Group". Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  7. ^ a b Chilcutt, Caleb. "ELYSIAN Magazine | About Us". ELYSIAN Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  8. ^ "Karen Floyd official website". 2008.
  9. ^ a b c White, Max (2024-04-01). "A Spartanburg entrepreneur turned filmmaker traveled to Ukraine's frontlines. Again. Here's why". Post and Courier. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  10. ^ Tonn, Jessica L.; Jacobson, Linda (2006-10-17). "Schools Chief Races Highlight Policy Divides". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  11. ^ Tonn, Jessica L. (2006-11-08). "Idaho State Chief's Race Goes to GOP, While South Carolina Heads for Recount". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  12. ^ "About Us | Palladian View". palladianview.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  13. ^ Sayej, Nadja (2024-09-09). "Dogs Rule The Runway At Elysian's 2nd Annual Catwalk Furbaby Show". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  14. ^ "Award-Winning Documentary Offers Twelve Women's Unique Perspective of War in Ukraine". Resident Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  15. ^ "Elysian: Fight for Ukraine | Kennedy Center". The Kennedy Center. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  16. ^ "ELYSIAN at the World Changers Summit: Elevating the Conversation on Peace". ELYSIAN Magazine. 2024-11-25. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  17. ^ Norton, Ross (2025-05-27). "Spartanburg filmmaker honored at Cannes for impact". GSA Business Report. Archived from the original on 2025-06-11.
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