Kate McKerlie, MSSW, MPH, is the communications director at the Texas Institute for Child & family Wellbeing. As a professional communicator, Kate’s main mission is to make information clear and kind.
Kate manages the team that maintains the institute’s website, e-newsletters, promotional print materials, and social media platforms. Kate is especially interested in using communications channels to promote and disseminate public health and social work research effectively and close the researcher/practitioner gap through interactive co-creative processes. She assists the institute staff in disseminating their research to the public through information design, such as report and brief design, infographics, and data visualization. Kate also specializes in video and motion graphics.
Kate has an interest in leading groups through change. She has successfully led several organizations through transformation and restructuring by bringing her unique lens to re-branding, strategic planning, and team building. Kate is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator. She brings her previous experiences in public health, film, design, and working directly with youth and women as a counselor and mentor to her facilitation work with groups, organizations and individuals. She has a special interest in helping those in the public sector such as non-profits, government and educational groups and organizations. Kate is a contributing member and peer mentor of Women Communicators of Austin (WCA) and has sat on the Steering Committee of Healthy Youth Partnership (HYP Austin).
Besides supporting local food systems, exploring holistic health practices, swimming, yoga, two-stepping, and hand-embroidery, Kate spends her time blogging and pursuing personal projects about information design, video, and motion graphics.