Who We Are

Kristine Conner
Senior Associate

Writer Kris Conner brings more than eight years of experience in working with clients in the education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. Her experience has ranged from writing case statements, to conducting focus groups and message research, to developing creative concepts and communications strategies, to copywriting for print and Web communications.

Most recently, Kris was Senior Writer at Kelsh Wilson Design, a strategic communications firm in Philadelphia that serves colleges and universities, independent schools, and corporations. During her seven years with the firm, she worked on numerous admissions and development marketing projects for a range of educational clients, including independent day schools, boarding schools, small to mid-sized private colleges, and large state universities. Kris collaborated closely with their admissions, development, and communications staffs, as well as with Kelsh Wilson's staff of graphic designers, Web developers, and photographers, to create effective, audience-driven communications tools. All of these projects involved an in-depth process of message research that included on-campus focus groups and interviews with school leaders, faculty, students, and parents, as well as phone interviews with alumni and friends. Kris developed creative concepts and wrote copy for numerous print admissions packages, Web sites, case statements, and other development communications.

Kris also has eight years of experience as a freelance writer and communications consultant, also primarily in the nonprofit sector. In addition to writing for her own independent school clients, she collaborated with hospitals and healthcare systems, advocacy groups, government organizations, and foundations. Included among her clients were the National Cancer Institute's Office of Clinical Research Promotion, the NCI's Office on Women's Health, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Crozer-Keystone Health System, the National Women's Health Resource Center, and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her writing ranged from marketing communications and annual reports to patient education tools and Web site copy. She is the co-author of Ovarian Cancer: Your Guide to Taking Control (O'Reilly, 2003), a comprehensive guide to living with ovarian cancer. Kris also wrote feature articles on health-related topics for local publications such as Penn Medicine magazine and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Before starting her writing career, Kris earned graduate degrees in English literature from Georgetown University and the University of Virginia, where she taught undergraduate writing and literature courses and worked for the Office of University Publications. She earned her undergraduate degree magna cum laude, also in English, from the University of Pennsylvania.