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(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- LOS ANGELES, CA— LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS has announced that Keisha N. Brown (KB) has been appointed to the position of president, a role held by the founder since its inception in 1990. In this new role, Keisha will utilize her more than two decades of experience to focus on client services and new business development. She will continue as the chair of the Health and Wellness Practice. Mr. Kim L. Hunter, former president and CEO, will remain the Chairman & CEO of the agency.
“LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS is my first enterprise and I feel now is the right time to pass the torch to a long-standing and dedicated employee that I trust will continue to move the agency forward”, stated Hunter. “KB brings a tremendous understanding of client service and new business development experience to this position and I look forward to working with her as we both focus on our new roles at the agency.”
KB will be responsible for identifying and securing new business and providing integrated and innovative client service to all of the agency’s clients. In this role, she will lead teams in developing and executing creative oriented solutions communication programs for the firm’s advertising, marketing and public relations accounts; manage a team of client-focused and results oriented individuals; create a thriving environment of collaboration and creative problem-solving that is responsive to and inspired by new ideas; and oversee the firm’s creative and media planning and buying teams.
As the chair of the Health and Wellness Practice, KB will rely on her keen understanding of health disparities and cultural nuances amongst African American and Hispanic communities to concentrate on new business development targeting entities such as hospitals, healthcare plans, not-for-profit, government, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Her healthcare experience includes working with clients such as the Ad Council, American Cancer Society, California Department of Public Health, Covered California, L.A. Care, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, Novartis, the Office of National Control Drug Policy, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others.
“I am excited to start this new chapter of my career as president of an agency that has fulfilled me in so many ways and allowed me to make contributions to clients that target consumers (African American, Hispanic, and LGBTQ) that are important to me”, stated KB. “I look forward to partnering and collaborating with Kim in this new role to build upon the agency’s accomplishments and to continue developing and executing creative solutions for clients that position us for success in the future.”
In addition to client service and new business development, KB will partner with the CEO to raise the firm’s profile and position the agency as a premier multicultural agency.
A 23-year veteran of the agency, KB is an integrated marketing communications (IMC) specialist with hands-on knowledge managing advertising, marketing and public relations accounts on a local and national basis for clients striving to effectively communicate to both African American and Hispanic consumers. She has worked with corporate, not-for-profit and government clients throughout her time at the agency including Carnival Corporation, California Department of Insurance, City of Los Angeles, Community Health Councils, MetLife, Southern California Edison, U.S. Army, and Verizon.
“I have worked with Kim and the agency for more than 10 years, and they have always provided me with excellent client service dating back to when I was at American Airlines and now at Carnival,” said Roger Frizzell, senior vice president and chief communications officer of Carnival Corporation. “KB currently leads the team that works on our Carnival business, and the leadership and strategic counsel she provides our team has been an essential component in generating results.”
KB began her career at the agency and has held various positions that have led her to this position of being president of an IMC agency, such as an account manager, Vice President/Media & Promotions Director, and Senior Vice President/Chief Creative & Innovative Officer. All of these positions have allowed her to have a keen understanding of client service, account management, creative, media planning and media buying.
The Los Angeles native has been recognized for her work and expertise in multicultural communications through awards and invitations to speak on panels. Most recently, KB led the project launch of the L.A. Care Covered Campaign, which received the Healthcare Public Relations & Marketing Association (HPRMA) Golden Advocate Award. Additionally, the agency was awarded with the Sabre Award for Multicultural Marketing for Verizon Wireless, a team in which Keisha also led. Johnson Publications, the publishers of Ebony and Jet magazine, named Keisha “One of the Most Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications” and PRWeek Magazine featured her in a roundtable discussion regarding diverse viewpoints on multicultural communications.
KB holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in business administration from Howard University in Washington, DC.
