Welcome!
Meet our Founder
Katie Pesha, MBA, specializes in strategic communications planning, apostolic visioning, and executive-level coaching. For over 20 years, Katie has led teams that combine expertise with collaborative solutions to spark ingenuity and increase accountability. She began her career in 2003 with USA Today, where she ultimately served as National Director for Higher Education Programs. In 2011, she was appointed as the Executive Director of Communications and Planning for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, overseeing all marketing, interactive media, community relations, publications and pastoral planning efforts for the Archdiocese’s offices and agencies. In 2016, she founded KP Consulting Group, which has grown to become a robust network of Catholic marketing and communications professionals. Katie was participant in the inaugural cohort of the Church Communications Ecology Program sponsored by the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, which promotes parish vitality through better communications. She is a member of the Board of Directors for St. Dominic Catholic High School and the Association of the Miraculous Medal based in Missouri. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member for St. Charles Community College, where she has taught marketing, business ethics and entrepreneurship.
Meet The Team
Vice President - Operations
Amy Asahl
Amy Asahl brings more than 20 years of operations leadership experience across multiple industries to the KPC team. She is a dynamic and accomplished executive with strong operations management and problem-solving acumen. Amy has extensive background in creating, presenting and implementing effective technology and business solutions that allow clients to focus on increasing brand value, decreasing costs and prioritizing the customer experience. She is a motivational leader with an engaging and collaborative working style, building relationships while training, coaching and mentoring cross-functional teams. She has a passion for working side-by-side with clients seeking transformational change that improves processes, performance and scalability.
Strategist & Creative Direction
Addie Cook
Addie Cook specializes in strategy and consulting. With a background in sales, marketing, management and cultural anthropology, Addie uses her analytical and discernment skills to provide accurate feedback and invent solutions tailored to specific needs. With a proven track record in brand strategy, consulting, and marketing management, Addie has consistently delivered innovative solutions and driven strategic initiatives to enhance brand presence and market positioning. She is adept at identifying emerging trends and leveraging them to create compelling brand narratives that captivate audiences and foster brand loyalty. In her role as a consultant, Addie has provided guidance to numerous clients across various industries, helping them navigate complex challenges and unlock opportunities for success. She is able to analyze market trends, assess competitive landscapes, and develop tailored strategies that align with clients' objectives and drive measurable results. Driven by a passion for innovation and a dedication to quality trust-based relationships and tangible results, Addie is excited to make an impact at KPC. When she isn't working she can be found trying a new recipe, hiking with her two young sons or trying to beat her husband at "Ticket to Ride."
Strategist & Video Production
Greg Ghering
Greg Ghering has a passion for helping individuals or organizations tell their stories and use those stories to achieve their goals. He is excited for the opportunity to serve Catholic organizations and other non-profits with communication strategy, marketing tactics and implementation. Alongside his work with KP Consulting Group, Greg creates videos and podcasts to support mission-based clients. Greg has a focus on listening to his clients’ needs and making sure they feel understood, heard and attended to, and a special skill for understanding a client organization’s voice, style and personality.
Strategist & Creative Direction
Molly Goellner
Molly Goellner holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, and a Masters in Teaching with an emphasis in Catechesis (Catholic Studies). She taught for more than eight years, teaching senior-level theology courses and developing a comprehensive theology curriculum. She has helped plan and lead retreats and do speaking engagements about sacraments and evangelization. She brings a strong creative background and expertise in theology and evangelization to the KPC team.
Strategist & Creative Direction
Liz Henning
Liz Henning previously served with a creative services agency, which specialized in stewardship solutions for Catholic clients. Liz was drawn to marketing by her love for helping people connect their message to the right, resonant audience, and as a visual thinker, she really enjoys helping people organize their thoughts and ideas with a mind map, process chart, or user experience journey. Her goal is to help teams connect their people, refine their process, and fulfill their purpose every single day.
Strategist & Content Development
Molly Judd
Molly Judd is the Head of Operations for the Rural Parish Clinic. Previously, she was Director of Content for the National Eucharistic Congress, and has worked in various Church apostolates including the Chiaroscuro Institute and the Holy See’s delegation to the United Nations, Caritas Internationalis, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Strategist & Content Development
Maddie Keeven
Maddie Keeven holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia. She has a background in consulting, project management, and portfolio management. Building off her experience, she loves to also incorporate her passion for hospitality, building meaningful connections, and delivering strong communication strategies to ensure the overall success of every project and client.
Strategist & Content Development
Brenda Kimberlin
Brenda Kimberlin served as communications coordinator for the Lutheran Elementary School Association for more than 16 years. She is a freelance contributor to Sauce Magazine, and helps produce, write and voice promotional, educational and marketing-based videos through HEC Media and Spot Creative Media.Brenda brings a unique perspective to the KPC team as a former Public Relations Specialist - Geile-Leon Marketing Communications and a longtime broadcast reporter in St. Louis, MO, Dayton, OH, Spokane, WZ and Missoula, MT.
Strategist & Content Development
Mike Laffin
Mike Laffin is senior communications leader and storyteller with 30 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies, a leading private university, a nationally-ranked children’s hospital and even an airport. Serving in senior leadership roles for most of that time, Mike has advised CEOs, boards of directors, executive management teams and group leaders on all matters of corporate communications. This includes marketing communications; strategic communications; reputation and issues management; narrative, key messaging and content development; media relations, executive preparation and coaching; crisis communications; website creation and management, digital communications and social media; advertising and brand management; employee communications and engagement; feature, speech and editorial writing; and video direction and production. Before consulting, Mike was the executive vice president and chief communications officer for the Pittsburgh International Airport. Previously, he served as vice president of communications at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, EQT Corporation and Mylan Inc, respectively. Closer to the beginning of Mike’s career, he worked for Carnegie Mellon University and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He earned a master’s degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon and a bachelor’s degree in business from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa. Mike serves on his parish’s Evangelization Team, “Next Generation Parish (NGP)” Implementation Team and is the communications lead for NGP. Previously, Mike was on the board of directors for Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh, taught middle-school faith formation and served as his parish’s director of religious education for one year.
Strategist & Content Development
Beth Lauver
Beth Lauver supports the KP Consulting Group team with strategic marketing and writing. With a Bachelors of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, she also trained as a Level 1 Catechist for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Beth has experience in event planning and marketing, retail marketing and product licensing, public relations and brand management, and has served as the director of the Respect Life Apostolate for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The diversity of the marketing field is what interests Beth the most – to be able to pull together market research, media planning and creative work into a messaging strategy that will help her clients achieve their goals.
Senior Strategist
Steve Mamanella
Steve Mamanella is a versatile, dependable communications and marketing leader with more than 30 years of broad-ranging strategic and tactical experience. He joined the KP Consulting Group team in 2020. Prior to serving as a trusted communicator in the fields of Catholic health care and education, Steve led the communications departments of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the 26-county Diocese of Peoria, Illinois. In the Archdiocese of St. Louis, he helped direct the communications and media relations team for the 1999 Pastoral Visit of Pope St. John Paul II. In addition, Steve co-hosted a weekly Catholic radio program, served on the editorial board of the archdiocesan newspaper and oversaw the creation and launch of the award-winning first website for the Archdiocese. A St. Louis-area native who graduated from Bradley University with a degree in Communications-News, Steve has published a memoir titled Providential – An Autobiographical Exploration of the Gift of God’s Providence.
Brand Messaging Expert
Angie Shelton
Specializing in brand management, Angie Shelton graduated from Lindenwood University Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Mass Communication. She has previous career experience in radio at KMOX and KTRS in St. Louis combined with marketing and communications experience in corporate and non-profit organizations, including serving in a community relations role for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Angie has worked in strategic marketing and writing at KP Consulting Group since 2021, bringing her unique skills in helping clients discover their strengths and abilities. At KPC, she assists in developing illustrative and impactful language designed to connect KPC’s clients with those they wish to serve.
Strategist & Content Development
Ted Siegel
Ted Siegel applies his more than three decades of experience in communications strategy, writing and editing, and project management to help organizations live their mission and realize their vision. After earning a bachelor’s degree in both communications and mathematical computer science at Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Ted joined the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. A few years later, Ted transitioned to corporate communications. He served for several years as part of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri and later Mercy Hospital St. Louis, providing internal and external communications services. He joined the St. Louis-based Catholic hospital system Ascension Health in 2005 as Director of Communications. During his more than 18-year tenure, his responsibilities included producing the internal video news program Inside Ascension Health, which in 2011 won a Bronze Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America; and overseeing the implementation of Good Day Ascension, a multichannel internal communications strategy. Ted was named Editor of the Year for 2022 by PR Daily/Ragan Communications. He joined the KP Consulting team in 2024.
Crisis Communications & PR Coach
Anne Steffens
Anne Steffens specializes in media relations and crisis communications for Catholic organizations. With 7 Emmy awards, Anne brings more than 25 years of experience in crisis communications within Catholic organizations, no matter how big or small! She has led teams through crises including pandemics, criminal and civil charges, lawsuits, bankruptcy, resignations, closings and mergers, and more. Prior to her career in Crisis Communication, Anne Steffens served as the Chief Communications Officer for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, overseeing the media coverage, website and diocesan newspaper. She was also a reporter/anchor for ten years at KMOV-TV (CBS) in St. Louis.
Strategist & Content Development
Daryl Thuringer
Daryl Thuringer is a strategic thinker and results driven marketing and communications leader with more than 30 years of experience focused on nonprofit organizations. Over the course of his career, Daryl has served as diocesan communications director as well leading diocesan strategic planning for parishes and schools assisting them to see the future and establish achievable goals. He has also lead communications and marketing teams in a Catholic Healthcare ministry. This included internal and external communications, branding and service line promotions. Daryl is committed to and appreciates the mission of an organization and works to bring the mission to life as part of the overall strategic plan. He believes the mission is what differentiates ministries.
Amy Grzina
Graphic Designer
Lori Gutleber
Graphic Designer
Sam Mangieri
Fiat Films
Lucian Matoushek
Cinematographer/Filmmaker
Work With Us!
The KP Consulting Group team is always open to receiving resumes and making connections. If you would like to join our team, or to just learn more about our mission, get in touch today!