How I Got Started

Professional life before P.K. Wheeler Communications seems like long, long ago, but it prepared me well to provide excellent client service and on-target results.

• Edelman Public Relations Worldwide (Chicago, IL)
• Porter Novelli (Washington, D.C.)
• Golin/Harris Communications (Chicago, IL)
• MMI Companies, Inc. (Deerfield, IL)

This is where I earned my first PR stripes! As an assistant account executive in this agency’s health care practice, I was a member of a large team working to promote the first transdermal technology product for smoking cessation. You know... "The Patch" (marketed by then-pharmaceutical company Marion Merrell Dow). Corporate partnership programs, media tours, physician outreach, contests, testimonials, third-party relationship building... we did it all.
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I was overjoyed to join this office, with its excellent reputation for health care communications and its interesting mix of clients in the public and private sectors. As an account executive in this agency’s health care practice, I worked on a variety of public relations, social marketing and advertising projects for Johnson & Johnson, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When not working on that business, I acted as unofficial "designated proofreader/editor" for my own account team and many other agency account groups. I also served for a time as office Publicity Chair, working with a company-wide team to position and promote Porter Novelli.
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As an account supervisor in this agency’s health care practice, I had the opportunity to work with a major managed care provider at the height of the managed care boom. I managed crisis communications, media relations and product marketing support programs for United HealthCare of Illinois. I also worked on programs for Abbott Laboratories and Ethicon Pharmaceuticals. This role seasoned me in managing client relationships and junior staff members.
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The transition to the corporate side was a positive one that broadened my horizons and experience beyond public relations. As corporate communications manager for this health care risk services company, I developed marketing communications strategies for MMI and its subsidiaries, handled media relations initiatives and secured press coverage for key MMI initiatives, and wrote and managed projects like the annual report, sell sheets, brochures, print ads, direct mail pieces and employee publications. Building my marketing skills at MMI ultimately gave me the confidence and know-how to establish my communications business.
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phone: (414) 906-1663