Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy DeBrosse.
Hi Kathy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I came to Cincinnati 10 years ago to get married and build a new life – moving from Columbus, yet spending most of my life in the Dayton area, having grown up nearby in a progressive bastion (Yellow Springs). I mention that because I think my spirit – who I am and what makes me tick – started way back then. I was curious, creative, and hardworking. I asked a lot of questions growing up. I still do. It’s how I learn.
After my undergraduate education from Ohio University (Bachelors in Business Administration) and MBA from Baker College (in Flint, Michigan), I worked in media, spending 15 years in total – half of it doing market research and then later on, heading up the marketing, communications, PR and community relations function for the Cox’s media properties headquartered in Dayton.
In the midst of my ’20s and ’30s, I fell in love and gave birth to two amazing daughters, who to this day, mean the world to me.
After that stint and a divorce along the way, I went on to head up marketing for a couple franchised brands – Stanley Steemer (#1 carpet cleaner nationally) and Comfort Keepers (rapidly growing in-home senior care organization). Then I spent a few years in employee engagement and internal communications at MetLife.
Along the way, I tried marriage a second time, but ultimately that lasted five years – yet it brought me to Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine, where I live in a five-story condominium building on Main Street – in the hub of “party central” each and every weekend. In that process, I found a neat role – heading up the marketing, communications, and engagement function for the nonprofit community fund that supports all the arts in Cincinnati: ArtsWave.
I love telling the story of the arts for a living and better yet, making the business case for why we need to support them. By the way, if you weren’t aware, there are no ongoing local taxes nor levies that fund the arts – the arts are funded through ArtsWave, which, fast forward from 95 years ago, has become the largest community arts fund in the nation. And the organization has done well enough at funding the arts that we have one of the top 20 arts communities in the nation. Yay, Cincinnati, and thank you, Cincinnatians for your $350 million in support over the years!
Outside of work, I try to lead a healthy lifestyle, enjoying biking, yoga, running, and swimming. And I love plants – as evidenced by more than a dozen window boxes that outline my building’s footprint, a courtyard of flowers and herbs and zinnias grown in a city park across the street. I love cooking, spending time with my boyfriend, who’s equally into biking and has super cool digs to hang out in, and going back and forth to Columbus to see my granddaughter, who’s the apple of my eye and a sum total of 14 months old.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m not sure what smooth looks like. I think if life was too smooth, I’d make it rocky intentionally. Here are my top three struggles:
1. Losing a high-paying executive job when one of my daughters was in her senior year of high school, the other in college, and needing to stay in Dayon, Ohio, while a recession was happening and an engagement had been called off. Lots of creative budgeting, consulting for any and everyone, and ultimately, a great-looking set of experiences cobbled together was of value to other roles I would take on later.
2. Battling breast cancer not just once but twice. I avoided having to under chemo both times, with two Stage 1 diagnoses.
3. Having the man I knew for nearly 20 years and married for five walk out one day and divorce me three months later, and the topper: getting hit by a car the night he abruptly left. The blessing – being thrown on the windshield with my 10-pound dog and only breaking an elbow. Second blessing: fending for myself and knowing I could and would survive.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work for an organization that funds all the arts through raising money from the community. My occupation is a mix of business and creativity. I have the opportunity to create the plans that drive the business forward and yet, to make the stories of the arts come to life. Thus, something like redesigning the website might seem like a business challenge, but for me, it’s equally an artistic one. How does it jump out at you when you come to the page? What are the most important stories to stay on it?
I’m most proud of my ability to juggle a lot of things at once, all in the name of making progress. I’ve always been the kind of person who goes that extra distance to pull out the stops. I set a high bar for myself and those around me. As a result, I tend to be a leader of strong teams. Honestly, if you don’t like working hard, you’d hate me as your boss. On the other hand, if working hard to make a difference motivates, you’ll probably think you have a boss that expects a lot yet supports your growth 100%.
I’ve taken several tests that indicate I’m equally left- and right-brained. I’m comfortable working a tedious project plan, and I’m happy penning a story.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Cincinnati’s architecture, its topography (hilliness), the abundance of arts, the density of its urban core, the city’s bikability (my main mode of transportation), and the collegial and small big-town attitude folks around here have.
I wish the region had more public transportation and, specifically, that the streetcar system went farther to connect more communities. I wish the subway built many decades ago was a reality. I’d like the region to have more diversity, culturally and racially, than it does today.
Image Credits
CMF Outdoor Museum t
ArtsWave
