2021 Board of Directors
Alex Miller
President
Contact Info:
816-601-0137
Erin Barham, APR
VP-Finance
Erin has over 17 years of communications, public relations, design, and website experience in a wide variety of sectors from non-profit to healthcare to state government. Her passion for the details and adherence to accuracy, allows her to be a proficient planner of projects covering complex and delicate subject areas. She possesses a creative background, grassroots resourcefulness, and government practicality. Raised in the nation's heartland, Erin is a native of Kansas City and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Currently, she works as a senior communications strategist at Parson + Associates, a public relations firm rooted in Kansas City. And, not one to sit on the sidelines, she has a passion for community and volunteers for multiple organizations, such as Thelma’s Kitchen and KC Downtowners.
One of her life goals is to visit all 63 of the National Parks. She is obsessed with gardening and is also a 200-hour registered yoga teacher.
Contact Info:
816-601-0136
Caitlyn Camacho
Assistant VP - Finance
Caitlyn Camacho (she/her pronouns) is a communications manager at H&R Block and a recent transplant to Kansas City. In her current role, she manages local media relations across the U.S. and enjoys corporate storytelling supporting H&R Block’s community impact platform, Make Every Block Better. She has experience in nonprofit communications specializing in health and science organizations in Washington, D.C. In previous roles she led PR campaigns around the launch of the Youth Pride Clinic and Children’s Mental Health Summit at Children’s National Hospital, and the adoption of a new scientific society ethics policy labeling harassment as scientific misconduct. She holds a master’s degree in PR and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of New Jersey. In her free time she enjoys exploring local hiking spots, volunteering with Harvesters, and learning to play the ukulele.
Shayla Wilkinson
VP - Business Opportunities
Shayla is an accomplished communications and PR professional with diverse experience in communications, public relations, media relations, public speaking, videography and video editing. She currently works as a Senior Communications Partner for Cerner Corporation, a healthcare technology company based in Kansas City, MO. Shayla made the switch to public relations after an eight-year career as a television news reporter. She graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, where she studied journalism. In her free time, Shayla enjoys outdoor activities including hiking and boating, traveling and cooking.
Jenna Gant
VP - Communications
Jenna Gant is the communications and public engagement manager at the City of Merriam, Kansas. Before coming to the Kansas City area, Jenna worked in public information at the Ohio Supreme Court. She made a switch to public relations after a career as a TV and newspaper reporter. Jenna graduated with honors from the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Journalism in broadcast news. She has received several GKC-PRSA PRISM and 3CMA awards.
Contact Info:
VP - Social Media
Bridget Koan is a public relations specialist at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She writes about the Conservatory of Music and Dance, the School of Computing and Engineering, Theatre, the Department of Economics, the Department of Art and Art History, and facilities. Bridget also monitors the University's social media accounts and coordinates social media initiatives.
She's a self-proclaimed news junkie addicted to talk radio, reading and all things social. You can find her on Twitter at @bridgetlhk.
Michael Grimaldi
Senior VP - People
Michael Grimaldi is the strategic initiatives coordinator at KC Water - the water, wastewater, and stormwater utility of Kansas City, Missouri. Previously, he was press secretary to Mayor Sly James, senior communications consultant at Trozzolo Communications Group, issues management director at Corporate Communications Group, and a newspaper journalist. He joined PRSA in 1989, and formerly was the GKC-PRSA secretary and treasurer. He was the chapter’s Roger Yarrington Public Relations Professional of the Year in 2014.
Sophie Shafter
VP - Professional Development
Sophie Shafter brings 13 years of experience in public relations and digital marketing to the PRSA 2021 board. Most recently, she served as communications director with Jennings Social Media & MarTech, focusing on growing influencer marketing programs, overseeing content messaging and earning awards and media recognition for the agency and its clients.
Born and raised in California, Sophie has traveled throughout the country - from Alaska to Georgia and Colorado to Kansas City - working with agencies and corporations in a consultative role. She brings a coast-to-coast perspective when it comes to industry trends and communications strategies.
Sophie is passionate about wellness and spends her time practicing yoga and educating the community on tools for achieving work/life balance.
Katherine Frohoff is director of university relations at Rockhurst University, where she serves as university spokesperson and counsel to leadership on messaging and issues management. In addition, she is editor of RU magazine, serves on the crisis management team, the RU Neighborhood Council, and oversees media relations efforts at the Center for Arts and Letters. Prior to coming to Rockhurst, Katherine served on the university communications staff at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she developed a passion for higher education. In addition, she gained experience in client relations through stints at Kansas City advertising and public relations agencies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism, Master of Arts in English, and an MBA. In 2007, she received accreditation in public relations from PRSA. Her work has earned PRISM awards from the GKC-PRSA chapter and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
VP - Diversity
Carrie, who holds a Journalism Degree from Kansas State University, began her career as a reporter and women’s editor for the Salina Journal, the third largest paper in the State of Kansas. While at the Salina Journal Carrie, worked as a general assignment reporter, a columnist and she also served as the Assistant Women’s Page Editor where she directed the layout of the four-page section.
Of the many projects Carrie has promoted, she is most proud of her first venture into public relations and event planning while at the Black Archives of Mid-America where she served as the Project Manager for the Kansas City Exhibition of the Emancipation Proclamation, the landmark document that freed our nation’s slaves. The document was on loan to Kansas City from its permanent home at the National Archives and Records in Washington, D.C. This was only the second time the National Archives hadever allowed the document to be displayed outside of Washington.
While in Kansas City the document was displayed at the Nelson Atkins Gallery of Art for four days, during which over 10,000 people viewed the document. Carrie also has participated on boards and committees of numerous community and professional organizations.
Past President
Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA, is president and founder of Germinder + Associates, Inc., a public relations agency founded in Kansas City in 1998 with offices in New York City. Germinder returns to the Kansas City chapter board in the role of Past-President and Co-Chair of the Inez Kaiser Scholarship Committee after serving on the board from 1991 –2001, ending as President Emeritus, Midwest District Chair. She has also served as president of the PRSA-NY chapter and at a national level on the board of directors of PRSA and as a trustee of the Public Relations Society of America Foundation. She earned her APR while in the Kansas City chapter in 1992.
