Member Spotlight - January 2016

MEET PRSA AUSTIN CHAPTER MEMBER: Kathleen Stimpert

What do you currently do for a living? For the past eight years, I have served as the PR & Marketing Director for the Blanton Museum of Art. 

What did you want to be growing up? A movie star— but then I wised up!

What motivated you to pursue a career in the communications industry? I entered the profession in a roundabout way. While working as an art dealer in a New York gallery, I was tasked with drafting copy for exhibition brochures and catalogs. That ultimately led to a position overseeing the gallery’s larger communications strategies. The rest, as they say, is history.

Where are you from? Where have you lived? I am originally from Louisiana, but have lived in the following cities: Winston-Salem, NC; Boston, MA; Richmond, VA; New York, NY: and Austin, TX. ( I’ve discovered that I am definitely more of a warm-weather person.)

What college(s) did you attend? I started my higher education journey at Emerson College in Boston, and then transferred to Boston University. I ultimately finished my degree at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. 

What was your first job in PR/communications? At Forum Gallery in New York, as their Director of Publications, Publicity & Advertising.

What is your best piece of advice to your fellow PR practitioners? Know your targets! As you work to secure press, thoroughly research the journalists you are going after—their likes and dislikes, interests, etc—and craft your pitches accordingly. Reporters appreciate it when you’ve done your homework. Also, when you receive a particularly substantial placement, send a thank-you note! I always find that goes a long way. 

iPhone or Android? Iphone! I couldn’t live without it.

What are your favorite things to do in Austin? Favorite places to visit? Favorite restaurants? I enjoy walking around the pond at Mueller, reading, doing yoga, watching movies, visiting museums, and entertaining my five-year-old son, Sawyer. My husband Richard and I are both foodies and a few of our favorite restaurants are Uchi, Salty Sow, and Bullfight.