T&C promotes PR veteran Bri Kelly to vice president

For more than 12 years, Bri Kelly has provided strategic communications counsel to clients in Alaska’s travel and leisure industries, winning awards for her work along the way. Thompson & Co. Public Relations promoted Kelly to vice president this week, adding her to its executive team responsible for leading the development of the agency and its integrated services.  

Since she joined the agency, Kelly modernized the press credential and communication process for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and led media relations for the race for more than seven years. She’s also shared her love for Alaska, assisting top-market journalists in their research on behalf of the Alaska Travel Industry Association and coordinated broadcast productions including Top Chef, NBC TODAY, CBS Mornings and more. Behind the scenes, she’s a crisis communications responder, often called upon to help clients navigate through some of their toughest times.  

“Bri has earned this opportunity and it has been one of my greatest pleasures to watch her advance in this profession,” said T&C President and CEO Jennifer Thompson. “She has the experience and the wherewithal to achieve great things, and the entire agency will continue to support her in this new role. It’s meaningful to me that young women can advance in their career, growing both personally and professionally while raising a family and holding executive positions.”

In her new role, Kelly will continue to manage agency clients including John Hall’s Alaska and Travel Juneau; and build on national media outreach opportunities with ATIA while working seamlessly with T&C’s sister agency Blueprint Alaska, providing project management on integrated communication campaigns and strategic communications work for resource clients including Donlin Gold.  

Kelly is a former board member of Great Land Trust; member of the Public Relations Society of America; and an experienced and certified crisis communicator, having completed the PRSA Crisis Communications certificate program and having responded to more than a dozen real-life incidents in her more than decade career. She has been recognized by the PRSA Alaska Chapter with more than a dozen Aurora Awards for her work and expertise in media relations; event planning and execution; integrated communications and more.

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