Kelly Ferrara
President
Kelly Ferrara is President and owner of StratCommRx. Kelly wields more than 20 years of experience in communications consulting for her clients. To put what she does in plain language: Kelly and her team connect audiences with messages. She opens doors so that companies and organizations understand who they want to reach and what they want to say. She then guides them through a process to determine how they want to say it and why their audiences should pay attention. She is an ENFJ on the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and is a certified instructor with that tool. In a world driven by the next phone call or email, she governs most of her world by to-do lists – and takes great joy in crossing things off that list.
Kelly’s experience with clients across a variety of industries has helped her become the strategic thinker, polished writer, insightful collaborator, compelling facilitator, savvy marketer, and organizational advocate who is trusted by her clients and colleagues. A leader in corporate communications and public engagement campaigns for organizations, Kelly has worked with clients of all shapes and sizes, and across all markets. Kelly describes herself as a puzzle solver – and enjoys sleuthing out clues to unlock communications opportunities for all her clients. Ask her what makes an ideal client, and she’ll reply “someone with an interesting problem to solve.”
Heather Lasher Todd
Engagement Director
Heather is a public engagement and strategic communications professional who excels at anticipating needs, determining strategy, and connecting the dots. Her background is both broad and deep, with public and private sector experience in media relations, marketing, writing, and editing. Heather has significant experience working on health care issues and a love for learning new industries. She has a knack for translating complex information into language that can be easily understood by key audiences.
Heather has extensive experience in public affairs and public relations, starting with years of work on political campaigns at the local, state, and federal level. For more than 15 years she has held a variety of roles in the communications field, with responsibilities ranging from media relations and message development to speechwriting and branding. Her wide-ranging career includes prior agency work, serving as a press secretary and communications director in the U.S. House of Representatives, and leading the communications activities and rebranding of a statewide Missouri non-profit organization.
Prior to joining StratCommRx, Heather worked for more than three years at the American Medical Association, developing messaging and conducting national media relations on behalf of the physician organization. She has a strong background in health care and public policy, community engagement, and media and government relations. Her favorite part of working in the communications field is the opportunity to help clients develop compelling messages, along with creative ways to deliver them.
Heather serves on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Chapter of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), and on the IAP2 2018 North American Conference Planning Committee. She holds a BA in Communication from Truman State University, and is a graduate of the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life.
Cathie Farroll
Director
Cathie is a communications and construction professional who has worked within project management teams for the past 20+ years – planning, designing and building major transportation infrastructure projects in St. Louis, Cleveland, Charlotte and Washington, DC. She has worked for St. Louis’ multi-modal transit agency, as well as for an engineering firm in ENR’s Top 20 Design Firms.
While completing more than $3 billion in projects, she worked with technical professionals, local government officials, business owners, transit system employees/managers and members of the community. Her work allowed her to be a missionary, translator and a leader within her own team.
One of Cathie’s favorite phrases: “Words are my tools!” She creates powerful imagery and compelling calls for action. Her storytelling supports deeper understanding, with both emotional touchstones and factual foundations. She loves to unravel problems and create solutions.