Kathleen Soldati's Resume - Kathleen Soldati for Portsmouth City Council

KATHLEEN SOLDATI

143 Pleasant Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-767-3210 [email protected]

SUMMARY
Big picture thinker, author and editor with significant management and marketing expertise. Her leadership helped chart the course for Portsmouth Historical Society, The Music Hall, League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. She produced events for Nelson Mandela and Jane Goodall and put organizations on the map. Known for welcoming inclusiveness, dynamic public presence, a knack for seeing unique qualities in everyone.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Media Relations Consultant, PortsmouthNH 400, 2023

Editor, A History of Portsmouth, NH in 101 Objects, 2022

Marketing Strategist/Consultant, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 2019-present

CrossCurrent Communications: marketing strategist, client communications
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire: pro bono copy writer, 2019-2020

Portsmouth Historical Society, Executive Director, Portsmouth, NH 2015 – 2018

Clarified organizational structure, hired stellar professional staff, upgraded systems for 100-year old start up devoted to Portsmouth history, arts and culture.
Brought local awareness and national recognition for museum exhibitions on American Impressionists Edmund Tarbell and Gertrude Fiske, resulting in increased membership, foot traffic and doubled museum shop sales.
Ensured long term stability by building the foundation for Portsmouth400 celebration in 2023, and securing 50-year lease on former City library.
Oversaw $750,000 budget; 16 employees; two facilities: bustling cultural gateway (Discover Portsmouth) and national historic landmark (John Paul Jones House).
Published Lives of Consequence: Black in Early Kittery and Berwick in the Massachusetts Province of Maine, by Patricia Q. Wall.

Soldati Public Relations, Principal, NH 1978-1981; 2002-2006; 2013-2015

Highlights: Placed illusionist on The David Letterman Show; obtained coverage in Washington Post; for green construction and renovation in Art New England, Banker & Tradesmen, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Eco-Structure Quarterly. Centered Restaurant Week campaign on renowned chef James Haller.
Clients: Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce; Atlantic Grill; Portsmouth Historical Society; We the People: The Market Basket Effect; PARMA Music Festival; Clandestino Fishing Charters; Bill Truslow Photography; Nurture Through Nature; Dana Dakin; Brown & Company Design; Pontine Theatre; The Music Hall; Kane Company; Boston Society of Architects; HKT Architects & Planners; EnviroSense; Great Bay Chapter, American Red Cross; Foundation for Seacoast Health; HUB Family Resource Center; League of NH Craftsmen.

The Music Hall, Director of Marketing, Portsmouth, NH 2006-2014

Spearheaded Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth, a month-long city-wide campaign, with Strawbery Banke Museum, City and Chamber; promoted Telluride by the Sea, Portsmouth Singer Songwriter Festival, Kitchen Tour.
Managed five in promoting stage/screen offerings for two venues via: website; Enews; monthly magazine; radio/TV/print ads; video production; street marketing; market research; and media relations. PR Specialist 2013-2014.

League of NH Craftsmen, Executive Director, Concord, NH 1978-1990

Increased sales by 60%; obtained coverage in New York Times, Long Island Newsday, Boston Globe, Self magazine; forged public/private partnership among cultural community, tourism industry and state government.
Razed and built flagship store in North Conway, NH.
Directed $1.3 million institution with nine stores, annual fair with 50,000 visitors, and 900 craftspeople; and 2,000 members; staff of 25.
Executive Director 1985-1990; Acting Director 1984-1985; Assistant Director 1982-1984; Promotions Mgr 1981-1982; and Shop Publicity Mgr 1978-1981

***********Additional Management and Marketing positions***********

JSA Architects Inc. Director of Marketing Portsmouth, NH 2000-2002

Crafted personal branding initiative for architects in $10m, 60-employee firm.

Graphito Advertising & TV, Director, PR/Knowledge Mgt Portsmouth, NH 98-99

Secured clients: Daddy’s Junky Music Stores, UNH, NH Office of International Commerce, York Hospital, and Leddy Group. Crafted strategic marketing plans

Triple Dot Productions CEO, Portsmouth, NH 1995-1998

Co-launched youth summit for Jane Goodall, funded by Turner Foundation. Produced a 100+ event at Manhattan Explorers Club featuring Goodall.
Produced for Global Citizens Circle 200+ State Dinner in Johannesburg for Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela, Andrew Young; 75+ event in Cape Town for Adelaide Tambo. Produced 150+ events for David Trimble, Seamus Mallon, Bernice Johnson Reagon, John Sweeney, Robert Reich, and Henry Hampton at the JFK Library, Boston University Club and the Omni Parker House. Edited 25^th anniversary publication; arranged with Mandela government the Sally Quinn interview with Graca Machel for Washington Post and International Herald Tribune; coverage in Boston Globe, Boston Herald and South African media.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/03/03/by-mandelas-side/fb400791-7861-42e6-a544-66ca5911787b/

FoxPavlika&Partners Manager, New Business Development NY, NY 1995-1996

NH Public Television Nat’l Underwriting/Mktg Associate, Durham, NH 1991-1994

Produced Winter Expo, live 3-day program with state of NH & tourism industry showcasing winter recreation. Secured $150,000 in sponsors for Ciao Italia.

United Life + Accident Insurance Company Editor, Concord, NH 1975-1979

Managed corporate communications; all writing, editing, and photography

Rand Corporation; Westat Researcher/Data Flow Mgr, South Bend, IN 1974-1975

Site work for US Housing and Urban Development study.

First Mid-America, Inc., Director, Listed Options Operations, Chicago, IL 1973

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, 1972
Post graduate courses in marketing; management; public relations; media relations; editing; financial accounting; arts administration; board development; fundraising; graphic arts; fiction writing; photography; sustainability and Italian.
Registered Representative, NASD, 1979

AUTHOR/EDITOR

A History of Portsmouth in 101 Objects: editor, 2022
Pandemic as Portal, essay for NH Seacoast Summer Guide, 2021
Point of Graves, book blurb for J. Dennis Robinson, 2021
At the End of Ceres Street, foreword for James Haller, 2021
Vote Already, essay for NH Seacoast Summer Guide, 2020
The Art of the Segue: keynote, Keene Sentinel’s Extraordinary Women Awards 2019
The Art of the Segue: Pecha Kucha/Portsmouth, 2019
Business Comes to the Expert, co-author with Brenda Richards https://www.di.net/articles/advice_design_entrepreneurs/
Turning Remembrance into Action: keynote, Candlelight Memorial Aids Response, 2004
My Brother Michael: keynote, Candlelight Memorial, Aids Response Seacoast, 1998
New Hampshire’s Craft Heritage, booklet, 1982
Pro Se Divorce: Representing Yourself: editor/publisher, 1976

TEACHING

Art of PR: How to Think About and Manage PR – The Music Hall 2016
Marketing Right Up Until Show Time, ArtsReach US Conference, NYC 2013 (co-presenter, Monte Bohanan)
Business Comes to the Expert, Boston Architectural College and UNH, 2008
Marketing for Nonprofits, UNH Div of Continuing Education Mktg Certificate, 2007
Marketing Strategies for Design Firms, Boston Architectural College, 2005, 2006
Managing your Marketing, UNH Div of Continuing Education Mktg Certificate, 2004-2005
Producing Successful Events, UNH Div of Continuing Education Mktg Certificate, 2004-05
Effective Publicity, UNH Div of Continuing Education Mktg Certificate, 2004-2005
Talking About Thinking About Marketing, Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, and Women in Design, Build/Boston, 2005
Research & Strategies, Women’s Business Center, Portsmouth, NH, 2005
Publicity: Managing and Pitching, Boston Society of Architects, 2004
Knowledge Management, Boston Society of Architects, 2004
Careers and Goals, Odyssey House, Rochester, NH 2004
Careers That Work, Exeter High School, 2003
Architectural Mktg, Society for Marketing Professional Services, Boston, 2002
Marketing Tourism, USAID, Estonia, 1997
Marketing Tourism Places, (co-taught semester with Nancy Vawter), UNH, 1997
Basic Publicity Skills, New England College, Henniker, NH, 1980

FACILITATING

Event emcee and panel facilitator on architecture, arts, marketing, tourism, PR

C0-emcee, (with Emmett Soldati) TedX Portsmouth conference, 2019
Emcee, Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce Tourism Summit, 2013-2019
Emcee, NH Governor’s Conference on Tourism, 2013
Emcee, Joe Stevens Rock ‘n Roll Photography, Music Hall Portsmouth Singer Songwriter Festival, 2013
The Music Hall Wildcard Movie, 2007
Boston Society of Architects Residential Design Show 2005, 2006
Women in Design Annual Conference, Boston, 2005
New England Museum Association, 2005 – “What museum directors should know about the media”
NH Business Committee for the Arts
NH State Council for the Arts
NH Arts 100

COACHING

Counseled countless individuals on life and career paths, resumes, interviews, etc. 1972-present

VOCALIST/VOICE WORK

Voice work for radio and TV, 1978–present including Dance TV, 80’s
Disc jockey, WUNH-Durham, NH, 1981-1990; 1999-2000; 2015-2018
Singer, Hilton Portsmouth Downtown, 2007-2011, Cliff House, Ogunquit, ME 2007, Biddy Mulligans, Dover, NH, 2005-2007
On air fundraising, NHPR, NHPTV, 80’s, 90’s

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

GoodWork Seacoast, professional partner, 2020-present
Member, Historic New England
Member, Portsmouth Historical Society
Member, Strawbery Banke Museum
Member, Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, 2004-2020. Co-chair, Tourism Committee, 2007, member, Destination Portsmouth Task Force, 2012-2020
Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce award – “2015 Connector of the Year”
New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, 2006
Member, Public Relations Society of America, Yankee Chapter, 2003-2004
Associate Member, American Institute of Architects, Boston chapter, 2001-2006
Member, Boston Society of Architects, 2000-2006.
Member, Society for Marketing Professional Services, Boston, 2000-2002
Board of Directors, New Hampshire Public Radio, 1990-1993
Board of Directors and National Secretary, Crafts Report Fund, 1989-1991
Board of Directors and National Secretary, Year of American Crafts, 1989-1991
Board of Directors, New Hampshire Travel Council, 1984-1990
Board of Directors, Arts 1000, 1985-1990
Board of Directors, Pontine Theatre, 1984-1986
Member, NH Joint Promotional Program, appointed by Gov. John Sununu, 1984-1989; reappointed by Gov. Judd Gregg, 1989-1990
Coordinated /emceed Gov. Sununu’s Annual Conference on Tourism, 1987, 1988
Board of Directors, Women’s Business Center, 2004-2006. Co-Chair Leadership Development Committee, 2005-2006
Publicist, Rubia, Afghanistan Women’s handwork project, 2002-2006
President, Seacoast Women’s Investment Network, 1996-2000, 2002-2003
Board of Directors, Sexual Assault Support Services, 1990’s
Co-founder, president, Concord Chapter, National Organization for Women, 1975-1979
Campaign volunteer: Emmett Soldati for NH Democratic Party Chair, 2021
Campaign volunteer: Emmett Soldati for Executive Council, 2020
Campaign volunteer: Lincoln Soldati for Congress, 2017-2018
Campaign co-manager, Soldati for Somersworth Mayor, 2009
Campaign co-manager, Soldati for Strafford County Attorney, nine successful elections, 1982-2000
Host for 50-150+ events for candidates Jeanne Shaheen, Walter Mondale, Joe Biden, Tom Harkin, Paul McEachern, Dudley Dudley, Joe Keefe, 1982-2000
State co-chair, Bill Bradley for President, 2000
State co-chair, Joe Biden for President, 1988
New Hampshire Democratic State Committee, 1980’s