Kathleen Brust
Director, Editorial Services Although Kathleen enjoys writing, what she really loves is editing. She loves the challenge of taking copy to the next level by making it clearer, cleaner, shorter, longer – whatever has to be done to make it better and more relevant. How Kathleen Got Here Kathleen Brust first met Laura Bishop in 2000; Laura was doing consulting work for the Marketing Department at Commerce Bank, and Kathleen had just been hired as the Vice President of Corporate Communications. They became friends. Shortly after Laura started LBC in 2011, Kathleen was let go from TD Bank (who had taken over Commerce Bank in 2008). Call it kismet or fate, but soon afterwards, Kathleen became LBC’s first employee. As crazy as it may sound to anyone who knows her now, Kathleen started her career as a technical writer and reporter. Back in the day, she was the editor of one of the first loose-leaf services about a brand new phenomena – a microcomputer! After a few years, she realized it was not really what she wanted to do. Kathleen left that field and joined HRN, Inc., a global corporate communications and strategic consulting firm that served clients throughout the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. As the VP of Consulting Services for HRN, Inc., Kathleen authored or contributed to hundreds of public policy forecasts, research projects, communications assessments, and white papers. She facilitated focus groups, developed and implemented surveys, and developed and conducted communications and outreach training programs for multi-national corporations. After 16 years with HRN, Kathleen thought it would be fun to work for a corporation – like those for which she had been consulting. Kathleen joined Commerce Bank as Vice President of Corporate Communications, directing projects and campaigns to promote the bank’s unique retail strategy, customer service philosophy, and culture. She wrote, edited, and managed the bank’s annual report, annual corporate giving report, corporate newsletters, employee magazine, in-house WOW!-TV, training materials, advertorials, and executive speeches. When TD bought Commerce, Kathleen became Vice President of Internal Communications. She played a key role in integrating corporate cultures following the merger. |
Talents and Expertise
Kathleen has spent nearly 40 years writing, editing, developing and implementing communications strategies for corporations around the world (and she looks so young!). A gifted writer and skilled editor, Kathleen leads LBC’s editorial practice area including newsletters, e-newsletters, magazines, brochures, websites, annual reports, video scripts and speeches. A stickler for clear, accurate work delivered on or before deadline, Kathleen has extensive experience in coordinating the production of written and video materials. Her Favorite Projects Kathleen’s favorite projects are those where she feels her writing – or editing – really can make a difference. Whether it’s a speech for a CEO attending a fundraising dinner, or an article in a newsletter or magazine that showcases a client’s work, she likes to feel like her abilities have made a difference. Oh, and she loves doing newsletters and magazines, on deadline! Other Stuff Kathleen Does Kathleen spent the last ten years or so caring for elderly relatives. Now that she has more time, she is hoping to donate her time to the Girl Scouts, an organization that had a significant impact on her when she was a Scout. Although she doesn’t get much chance to kayak these days, it is a favorite activity, as is reading mystery novels. She also is known as a pretty good cook and loves to hold dinners and parties for her friends and family. But, her most favorite activity is spending time with her beloved English Bulldog, Kia; she ignores those who call her the “crazy bulldog lady”. Education Kathleen holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Communications from Cabrini College (now, Cabrini University), in Radnor, PA. She also was enrolled in a master’s degree program at Drexel University in Philadelphia in Science and Technical Communication for awhile, but decided that was not a road she really wanted to travel. |