Let's talk about me

About

 Out of Chaos

When people ask me why I do what I do, I think back to the crazy days of my childhood. As the ninth of 10 kids in a boisterous Irish family, I navigated the daily family circus by creating order in the world around me — finding ways to be heard above the crowd (that only sometimes involved shouting).

This early bootcamp has given me an edge today. I've become an expert at finding order in the chaos, taking a lot of information from a lot of different sources and presenting it easily and in a way that makes people pay attention.

I've had lots of practice. I've worked in communication and design for nearly three decades, helping organizations with their outreach and crafting publications, print materials, and websites that really tell a story.

If you have a lot of material but you're not sure how to present it, I've got you covered. I have loads of experience taking complex information and turning it into an engaging, professional presentation.

A little background

A native of Virginia, I settled in Vermont's Green Mountains after earning a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Virginia. Along the way I added master's level coursework in visual design from Vermont College.

Before opening my own business, I served as Director of Public Information for Vermont State Colleges, managing all of the system's marketing and public relations. And I recently served as Administrator for the Vermont Society of Land Surveyors, where where I managed member communications, oversaw dozens of conferences, and developed a firm respect for the work of land surveyors. I also won first place honors (twice!) in a national journalism competition for my work on The Cornerpost magazine.

When I'm not at work, you'll find me walking my beloved Corgi or running the local trails. I'm also a self-professed bird nerd. If I'm not watching the bird feeder outside my office window, I'm trying to identify Vermont's beautiful songbirds with Cornell's amazing bird app. Give it a try.

Kelly Cochrane Collar is creative director at Mad River Creative
Kelly Cochrane-Collar
Creative Director
Cochrane_Family_2

Early Days With the Cochrane Clan

Here's the entire family, packed in together. I'm standing at the far right, wearing a hand-me-down from Jean, Mary, Kat, and probably even Eileen. The clothing buck always stopped with me.

My Areas of Specialization

EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION

Clean, compelling designs to help schools and colleges reach and retain their students, alumni and communities.

NON-PROFIT COMMUNICATION

Targeted materials to help non-profits funnel information to the people and organizations that need them.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Compelling and professional print designs to publicize events, promote businesses, and provide updates to the communities they serve.

WEBSITE DESIGN

Your storefront for the world...beautiful digital designs to help your organization make a good first impression and keep your stakeholders coming back.

CALL
 802.793.6935
STOP BY
Waterbury Village, Vermont
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