Tell us about your academic background (college, major, degrees)

I have a BA in Business Management from Seton Hill, where I proudly served on the Board of Trustees for 12 years, and then, immediately after undergrad, went on to earn my MBA at the Katz School of Business at Pitt.  I have two, local alma maters.

What was your first job and how did you find it?

My first job was teaching gymnastics at a local community rec program. My first communications job was at Ketchum – I was hired out of Pitt by the then president of Ketchum, Jerry Voros, to serve as assistant to the president and chairman. I ran the philanthropic foundation, organized management meetings and got a bird’s eye view of the entire company – a priceless experience that has served me well my entire career.

What was the most important lesson you learned from that job that you still carry with you?

I had the privilege of organizing and attending executive management meetings. I saw presidents of divisions present their plans and ideas. People who could present well stood out and were well-received. I knew at the age of 23 that I wanted to learn to be a great presenter because it was a big component of success.

Give us a snapshot of the remainder of your career path, in addition to your current job and responsibilities.

Having been at Ketchum for many years, I am fortunate to be able to change my job every few years so I can learn and grow. Right now, I am focused on marketing to women and moms – providing client counsel, developing thought-leadership for the agency, serving on national boards like BlogHer/SheKnows, speaking at conferences, and always on new business. I’d like to continue my focus on women, moms and social influence, and maybe write another book

Looking back on your career, what was the best piece of advice that you ever received?

“A reputation takes a lifetime to build and only a moment to destroy,” – advised Larry Werner, my mentor, friend and second dad.

Tell us about a memorable moment in your career.

My work at Ketchum with marketing to women and moms gave me the inspiration to write a book, Too Busy to Shop, which was published in 2009. Learning the book publishing industry is like earning another degree – I wrote my proposals, searched for a publisher, got a book deal, wrote a manuscript and was published. The best thing about it was that my two kids started writing books, too.

In your opinion, what are the three most important attributes needed to be a successful public relations practitioner?

Initiative, credibility, and counseling with conviction.

What is your advice to students who want to work in public relations or young public relations professionals just starting their careers?

Be tenacious in trying to open doors. Have a POV and speak up. Learn something new every day.

How has the public relations field changed since you started working?

PR changes by the day. Social media used to be a specialty and now is mainstream work. Constant change and trying to lead and keep up with it is what makes PR fun.

What’s next?  What do you see as the next big trend in public relations?

Influencer marketing is here and will continue to develop in sophistication. More accurate measurement based on big data. But, good people will always be key to good PR.