KPK & Co. is an award-winning, boutique agency combining the talents of its key principals with select consultants we hand-pick for larger projects. After 25 years of practicing public relations, marketing communication and video/multimedia production out of Atlanta, we have developed connections that span the globe.  Meaning that, while we have a terrific talent pool right here, we tap into skilled pros in other markets or countries as needed. Should you wish to utilize our deep Atlanta/Georgia media connections, we are the right team and can add the right southern accent to the conversation. Should you be rolling out a product or service in New York or Philadelphia, we can help there and in most major media markets, too.

Our core team consists of:

Karin Koser
President/CEO

Prior to forming KPK & Company, Karin held high-profile PR and marketing positions including Director of Public Relations for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Senior Account Supervisor for the GCI Group (Atlanta’s largest PR firm), Director of Marketing and Media Center for the Welcome South Visitors Center (an Atlanta Olympics initiative) and Assistant Director of Tourism for the state of Georgia.

Karin has created many local, regional, national and international campaigns, including the Georgia on my Mind  tourism campaign and Global Georgia, an $8 million worldwide marketing campaign for the state of Georgia. She successfully led communications efforts for the launch of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta following the merger of Egleston and Scottish Rite and managed both the media relations and video/TV production teams at the combined entity, one of the nation’s largest pediatric healthcare systems.

Karin served on the Board of Directors for Girls, Inc. for four years and was named Executive Volunteer of the Year in 2003; served on the Board of the Henry Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications from 1993-2000, was selected as one of 100 women nationally for the 1991 class Of Leadership America and has provided her time and expertise to numerous local organizations, including the High Museum of Art, Georgia Children’s Campaign, the Georgia Children’s Museum and many others.

Julie Herron Carson
Writer, Regional Media Relations

Featured by The Atlanta Business Chronicle for seven consecutive years as one of Atlanta's most outstanding public relations professionals, Julie Herron Carson offers strategic public relations services to a wide variety of clients.  Her specialties include media relations, newsletters, website writing, speechwriting and cause-related marketing.  She has over 27 years of expertise serving clients in the travel/tourism, hospitality, landscape and garden, consumer products, commercial real estate, healthcare and non-profit arenas. Julie worked with large Atlanta PR firms including Fleishman Hillard and Cohn & Wolfe. In addition to her public relations work, Julie is also a feature writer for The Piedmont Review, The 30-A Review and Atlanta's Finest Dining magazines.

Current & Former Clients
The Artmore Hotel
The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus
Disney on Ice
The Atlanta Home Show            
Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta
Southeastern Flower Show
Atlanta Botanical Garden

Amy Ballenger Guest
National Media, SATW & Industry Relations

Amy Ballenger-Guest is a trusted hospitality professional who has worked in media and industry relations management positions for over 15 years with the Charleston Area CVB and now lives in Atlanta. She facilitated destination coverage for the opening of The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, The Boardwalk Inn at the Isle of Palms and provided ongoing, direct PR support for tourism partners including the Charleston Place/Orient Express hotel, Wild Dunes Resort, Kiawah Island Resort and dozens of other smaller properties as well as destination events including the PGA Ryder Cup, The World Cup of Golf, the BOC Challenge, Spoleto Festival USA, Food Network Live, Tall Ships 2000, The Family Circle Cup and the BBT Food & Wine Festival. She has a passion for golf, destination management and customer service.  

Amy garners exceptional media placement leads for her clients and helps them establish relationships, thanks to her deep rolodex and charming personal style and great follow-through.

Current & Former Clients
Hotel Palomar Atlanta
Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (ad hoc consulting)
South Carolina Area Tourism Regions/Touchpoint (SCATR) (P)
Meeting Professionals International, GA chapter (P)

J. Barkley Russell
Campaign Strategist/Crisis Communication & Public Affairs Strategist

Barkley Russell is an energetic, PR dynamo with targeted experience in hotels, the arts and commercial real estate for more than 30 years. She opened the Stouffer Concourse Hotel and lived through the complete renovation of the Westin Peachtree Plaza as PR Director. She worked for Cohn & Wolfe public relations and understands agencies, big and small.  She has worked directly with the Panama City airport while at Duffy Communications.

Recently elected to the City Council of her hometown of Fairburn, just south of Atlanta’s airport, Russell is a trusted confidant of hospitality leaders, elected officials and media representatives. She’s an expert event planner and co-owner of Argonne Parades, where her multi-tasking skills have served her well to manage multiple partners, sponsors, staff and hundreds of volunteers. She’s equally comfortable discussing a destination one-on-one with a writer at dinner, “leading a parade” with a walkie-talkie in hand and staying calm under pressure during client crisis issues.

Current & Former Clients
Hotel Palomar Atlanta
Hardin Construction
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Cobb Galleria Centre
Chateau Elan Resort, Winery & Spa
WSB Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Christmas Parade

Laura Yamashita
Finance and Administrative Coordinator

Laura Yamashita has an undergraduate degree in corporate finance, along with an MBA. She has worked in corporate finance, non-profit administration, film production and adult instruction and keeps her organizational skills sharpest in managing her active family. Over the last three years she has worked with KPK & Company, coordinating the financial and administrative components of our business.

“One of my favorite quotations is attributed to George Bernard Shaw: ‘The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.’”
~Laura Yamashita

Johnny Crosskey
Publicist/Writer

Johnny Crosskey is a major sports buff with an undergraduate degree in communication. He is a published sports writer in addition to serving KPK clients with media outreach, writing and strategy. He is instrumental in securing top media placements for the American Craft Council Show and helping the show achieve record attendance in its 19th year (2008). He has become adept with Social Media, creating brand standard Social Media protocols for KPK clients, and implementing Social Media and traditional media editorial calendars. Under Johnny’s leadership, KPK’s Facebook page for Hotel Palomar Atlanta grew from 0 to 600 fans in less than a month and is currently topping 1,000 fans.

 

 

©2008 KPK & Co. All rights reserved.