As founding Vice President for Development and
External Affairs at Gateway, Laura built an organization that produced over $20
million in competitive federal and state grants and a unit that created a
powerful marketing strategy that helped triple enrollment. As Executive
Director of the Gateway Foundation, she took the organization from a negative
$750,000 to over $8 million in assets by recruiting and nurturing a board
comprised of the key influence makers in the region. Her efforts to lead the
college’s advocacy campaign yielded over $50 million in state funds for capital
improvements, including three new facilities and five major building
renovations. --Dr. Ed Hughes, President and CEO, Gateway Community and Technical
College
Marketing, Advertising, PR
Wow. What a great Central Kentucky
Home and Garden Show we had. Laura was a bulldog when it came to persistence.
Her efforts were endless. She never said no to one thing I asked, and I asked a
lot. Her efforts were consistent with the way we at MAC Productions like to do
business: always with a yes and a smile. Thank you, Laura, for a job well done
with PR, marketing and advertising. --Michael Claypool President, MAC Productions, Inc.
Media Training for Humana
Laura used her expertise to lead a
morning-long session of media training for Humana executives at the Louisville
offices. She was well-prepared and effectively taught them how to remain calm
and stay on message whether they were speaking to the media in an interview or
in a crisis situation.All her
techniques also became part of a customized manual she developed that could be
taken back to the office for future use. --Larry
Savage, Former
Humana Market CEO
Purple People Bridge PR
If you ever
wondered who got almost every major media outlet in the state to
cover the grand opening of the Purple People Bridge, it was Laura. She
even persuaded Jim Borgman to create a cartoon of the bridge for the
Sunday Enquirer. Laura never hesitated to help in
Southbank's first decade and beyond, performing the media relations for
everything from Developer's Day to the groundbreaking of the
Hofbrauhaus. Her successful promotion of dozens of events
and programs led to her being one of just two people to
receive Southbank's Volunteer of the Year Award. --Jack Moreland President, Southbank Partners
Community Consensus-Building
I am
very pleased to offer a personal testimonial for Laura Cook Kroeger and her new
venture, Communications Project Partners. In my capacity as Covington City
Manager for the past six years, I have had the opportunity to work closely with
Gateway Community and Technical College’s leadership team on its new urban
campus, and directly with Laura in creating a strategic partnership to build
the urban campus, achieving a goal of a reenergized urban core in the City, and
providing high quality higher education opportunities for our residents. Laura
and the rest of her team at Gateway were tireless advocates for the students
they serve and the larger community of riverfront cities with whom many
successful partnerships were forged. Laura’s effectiveness in public relations,
marketing and fundraising on behalf of Gateway in developing a successful urban
campus is unparalleled, as is her enthusiasm and sincere desire to help those
she serves and partners with whom she works. It has been a pleasure working
with Laura and I look forward to continuing our partnership as future
opportunities arise. --Larry Klein, City Manager City of Covington, Kentucky
Professional Accomplishments
Laura is one of the most accomplished, professional, and competent individuals I have worked with in my 32 year career.Her contributions to the companies and institutions where she has worked are extraordinary.For example, Gateway Community & Technical College has created and begun execution of a master plan for its Urban Metro Campus that will be transformational for NKY's urban core.Much of this work was coordinated and managed by Laura.In addition to her professional accomplishments, Laura has dedicated significant time and volunteered her considerable skills to professional organizations that benefit the region, particularly the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Women's Initiative.As a business professional, Laura has very high standards for herself and her work and has unquestionable integrity. --Jeanne Schroer President, Catalytic Development Funding Corporation of Northern Kentucky
