By Jessica Neal – Orem News Reporter
“How did I, this gangly, nerdy musician, end up doing this?”
That’s the question Karen McCandless, newly inaugurated mayor of Orem, Utah, asked herself. She said she never would’ve imagined being in this role, but looking back at her life, she can clearly see the path that led her here.
McCandless grew up in Modesto, California as the oldest of three children.
“My first memories of Orem were when I was little,” McCandless said. “Orem was the place when we knew we were almost to my grandma’s house.”
Years later, in 1991, McCandless and her husband decided to buy a house in Orem and start their family. Her husband, Don, was a practicing attorney mainly working in contract, real estate, and criminal defense law.
“My husband and I had a goal to raise really strong daughters,” McCandless said.
Growing up, McCandless’ parents told her that she could do anything. She said her parents were great examples of learning and encouraged her to explore her interests. In her home, McCandless’ parents prioritized educational opportunities.
Wanting to carry the legacy on with her own children, McCandless said she had a goal to teach her daughters that they could be involved in the community. When McCandless was appointed to the city council in 2001, her daughters were heavily involved.
“My youngest…she knew which offices had the chairs that would spin really well and who had the candy…she was in heaven,” McCandless said, with a smile on her face.
McCandless credits the support of her family for her success on the council.
“I needed the support of my family, because if I didn’t have that support, there’s no way I could do it,” she said.
McCandles grew an interest in city council after her background in regional planning at BYU. Eventually, she said, she gained an interest in the sociological side of communities.
McCandless’ husband died suddenly in 2012, which prompted her to go to work full-time to support her family. She became the CEO of Community Action Services and Food Bank, which filled in the gaps that her other experiences left, giving her a good foundation for her role as mayor.
“Those experiences…I wanted to bring to the mayor’s office. So that’s why I decided to run,” McCandless said.
She doubted her ability to run a campaign without her husband, but said she had a “fire in the belly,” and the community stepped up to support her.
“I’m out there in the community doing what I love, and it’s very humbling to be recognized like that,” she said.
McCandless also said that it felt “surreal” to be recognized by community members, “I’m just me, I love pizza and naps.”
She started planning her campaign at the beginning of 2025, but she didn’t have a defining moment in her decision to run. McCandless said she knew she loved the community and wanted to serve them, and eventually, that meant no turning back on her campaign.
“Was I nervous? Yeah, because it’s daunting to put yourself out there,” McCandless said.
McCandless said she has high ambitions for this term, hoping to focus on working with the community members, bringing solutions to funding, affordable housing, transportation and air quality. She recognized that some of Orem’s biggest challenges are regional and she looks forward to meeting with state legislators to try bringing solutions to the entirety of Utah Valley.
“In a perfect world, I would like to have everyone in our community be thriving,” McCandless said. She recognizes that a lot of the solutions she is trying to create may take longer than four years to go into effect, but that she will feel successful if the community is proud.
When asked about her current day in the life, McCandless said it’s been a whirlwind.
Despite her busy schedule, McCandless still finds time for her hobbies, which include building Lego sets and training for the next Little Red Riding Hood cycling event.
From practicing flute in an ensemble at Utah Valley University on to attending orientations and regular office hours, McCandless wants to be easily accessible to the community.
“I’m still trying to figure out that balance right now, and maybe this weekend I can get my laundry caught up.”