“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my heroes. “If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way,” by Mark Twain, is another of my favorite quotes.

If you were to ask my clients, they would agree that I have both eagerness and curiosity, plus a commitment to professionalism and providing the highest quality work.

I have spent nearly 35 years as a publicist for nonprofit groups, “from opera to otters.” Most recently, I served as the Public Relations Director at the Santa Barbara Zoo, a 17-year client. I worked for more than 10 years with the Lobero Theatre (and they are still a client).

Additional previous clients include Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Music Academy of the West, Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, Lit Moon Theatre Company, Hutton Foundation, Santa Barbara Symphony, Ganna Walska Lotusland, Opera Santa Barbara, and Sings Like Hell, among others. I also have experience working with advocacy and service organizations.

I also am an educator, and have taught the Public Relations course at Santa Barbara City College, a course I created, for more than ten years. That ensures that I am up on the latest trends and technologies and am well versed in various industries and publics.

More than ten years ago, I earned an APR (Accredited in Public Relations) from the Public Relations Society of America, which reflects a high level of skill, professionalism, and leadership in the industry. I currently serve as the Accreditation Chair of the Gold Coast PRSA Chapter, helping other PR professionals achieve this highly regarded achievement.

I look forward to discussing your goals and current needs. I like to help organizations create something “great,” as Emerson suggests, and we all can use another pair of hands to hold that cat by the tail, as per Twain, to achieve that.