Karlis has joined LatCham as an individual member. Karlis is currently a teacher at Lincoln Park High School in the Chicago Public Schools. In addition to his teaching duties, he is also the Principal Conductor of the Chicago Public Schools All-City Orchestra. Before moving to Chicago, Karlis double majored in Music Education and Pre-Medicine at the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2006. He holds teaching certificates in both Illinois and Michigan.

Karlis has always kept his Latvian heritage close to heart. Besides being fluent in the Latvian language, he is an active member of the American Latvian Youth Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors as Assistant Treasurer. In his youth, Karlis was an active member of both Latvian Scouting and the Boy Scouts of America, where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 2001.