OUR BENCH

Our team has first-hand experience in the ever-changing world of communications, gained through a collection of 150+ years of navigating the increasingly blurred line that’s the intersection of marketing and public relations. We work with clients to refine brand positioning, messaging and communications efforts through integrated and measurable strategies that propel business forward.

Our hallmark is narrowing the focus to identify each client’s unique point of difference, then sharing their story through the myriad sources available to broadcast messages and engaging content — including through social media execution, original content creation, advertising initiatives and “in the trenches” public relations tactics. Our team comprises nimble industry veterans and knowledge-seekers who combine experience in media, Fortune 500s, nonprofits and communications agencies through numerous disciplines including journalism, digital marketing, public relations, advertising, branding, strategic planning, social media, photography, film and video production, sponsorships, community relations, corporate social responsibly and event planning.

CKP team members are sought-after speakers on all things communications and media. Collectively, CKP has garnered many of the communications industry’s most coveted prizes for our clients, including four “Marketer of the Year” awards and numerous AMA Houston, PRSA Houston and Hermes Creative Awards. Our work represents a broad spectrum of industries spanning hospitality, nonprofit arts and advocacy organizations, consulting and professional services, retail energy and automotive.

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A veteran marketing and public relations specialist, Carey Kirkpatrick founded CKP in 2014 with a focus on supporting clients through public relations, content marketing, and advertising consulting. Since then she has attracted a robust and diverse client list that runs the gamut from worldwide brands to small non-profits, and everything in between. In 2017, Carey was recognized as one of the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees for her outstanding role as a business leader and community advocate.

Following positions in public relations and marketing with several acclaimed performing arts organizations, including the Houston Symphony, Carey joined fledgling media startup CultureMap.com as director of marketing in 2009. In this role she helped to see the site through launches in Houston, Austin and Dallas. Her communications work has garnered numerous AMA Houston Crystal Awards, including multiple wins for Non-Profit Marketing Campaign and Integrated Marketing Campaign, as well as several Marketer of the Year Best in Category wins. Carey has a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and a Master of Music from the University of Texas at Austin.

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Jeremy C. Little

Principal, Head of Culture and Talent Management

Jeremy C. Little has more than a decade of experience in strategic communications, including public relations, media relations, social media marketing, public policy advocacy, and communications management consulting. He moved from the Northeast to Houston, Texas (for the second time) in 2016 to join CKP as a communications strategist. Jeremy's extensive communications background includes working with New York Times best-selling authors, government officials, and James Beard Award-winning chefs. Jeremy attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine, graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Government. Jeremy completed a Master of Arts in English from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School in Middlebury, Vermont.

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Joel Luks

Principal, Head of Strategy and Innovation

Joel Luks is a communications specialist with expertise in content marketing and social media strategy. Before joining CKP, Joel served as the arts and entertainment editor, classical music critic and video production director of CultureMap.com, a hyperlocal website covering lifestyle topics. He has also been a regular contributor to KHOU 11 News. In these roles, Joel has published more than 2,000 articles and produced more than 450 editorial segments for online platforms and broadcast. Joel is also an instructor in the Arts Leadership Program at the University of Houston's Katherine G. McGovern College of the Arts, and a frequent speaker on social media and content marketing throughout the U.S. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and a Master of Music from Rice University.

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Whitney Radley CKP — Whitney Radley

Head of Accounts

Whitney Radley is an award-winning communications professional who brings a fresh perspective to big-picture strategic thinking, always striving to find creative ways to tell meaningful stories. In addition to her expertise in media relations, branding, research, planning, integrated strategies and content creation, Whitney is a seasoned team leader with exceptional organizational abilities that guide even the most complex projects forward. She began her communications career in journalism as a reporter and editor for hyper-local digital publication CultureMap.com where she published hundreds of articles and covered topics ranging from lifestyle to cultural trends to local politics, supporting the platform’s grassroots publication's exponential growth with innovative, original content.

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Sarah Rufca Nielsen joined CKP in October 2017 after more than a decade working in Houston media. As a communications specialist, she's highly skilled in creative storytelling as well as creating compelling and precise content for clients. Originally from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, Sarah graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in History before attending New York University's prestigious Summer Publishing Institute. After working as an editorial assistant at Forbes in New York, she returned to the Houston area, working as a writer and reporter for publications including the Houston Chronicle, Paper City magazine, Houston Press, CultureMap and MyTable magazine. Most recently she spent three years as the Lifestyle Editor at Houstonia magazine, where she completely reimagined the publication's online lifestyle channel. She lives in the Houston Heights with her husband, Kyle, and her corgi, Zoe.

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