BIO

Mary Keister helps colleges, universities and higher education associations and nonprofits tell their stories and navigate challenging issues with values-driven communications campaigns. She excels at developing and implementing strategies to strengthen internal communications, advance thought-leadership efforts, and manage complex, reputation-defining issues for her clients.

Since joining the agency in 2021, she has served as interim media relations director for clients ranging from national liberal arts colleges to STEM-focused institutions and has led the media relations strategy for a major national higher education association. She currently is a member of the PRSA Counselors to Higher Education Section Executive Committee.

Mary brings deep campus experience to the agency, having worked for nearly seven years at Kenyon College, where she served first as a social media producer and then as director of media relations. At Kenyon, Mary developed executive thought-leadership efforts, promoted faculty expertise, guided communications during crises and advanced strategic priorities through media placements and in-house publications.

Earlier in her career, Mary worked as a homepage producer with The Washington Post. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Beloit College with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Mary resides with her family in Ohio.