Katherine O’Brien
Hi, I’m Katherine. I’m a web manager, graphic designer, and communications expert based in Chicago, IL. I am passionate about leveraging marketing and communications to cultivate strong connections between organizations and the communities they serve. With expertise in website management, project management, communications strategy, branded collateral production, and brand stewardship, I help organizations find their voice and deepen network engagement.
Skills
Web Management
4 years
✓ Content Management
✓ Daily Posting
✓ WordPress (Elementor)
✓ Yoast
✓ Google Analytics
✓ Google Search Console
✓ Microsoft Clarity
Communications
8 years
✓ Communications Strategy
✓ Project Management
✓ Brand Stewarship
✓ Email Marketing (Salesforce Marketing Cloud)
✓ Copywriting, Editing
✓ CRM Management & Analysis
(Salesforce Lightning)
Digital & Print Design
8 years
✓ Canva
✓ Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Lightroom)
✓ Microsoft PowerPoint
✓ Brand Guardian
Social Media
8 years
✓ Instagram
✓ Facebook
✓ Content Creation
✓ Volunteer Engagement
Resume
Work Experience
Marketing & Communications Manager
Interfaith America (fka Interfaith Youth Core)
August 2022 – Present
- Oversee Interfaith America’s website, including user experience (UX), content management, and search engine optimization. Increased sessions from organic search by 54% from 2023 to 2024.
- Utilize analytics to consistently improve IA’s website. Increased users to site by 27% from 2023 to 2024.
- Work with program and content teams to publish new web content, including articles, resources, events, grants, and more.
- Provide creative direction and brand stewardship across all graphic design projects, collaborating with internal and external designers.
2025 Grand Award for Interfaith America’s Websites
APEX Awards for Publication Excellence
“These three interconnected sites (Interfaith America, The Team Up Project and Evangelicals in a Diverse Democracy) impressed the judges with engaging multimedia content, valuable resources, and meaningful opportunities for deeper involvement. The judges particularly liked the Team Up Project site, funded by the collaboration of Interfaith America, YMCA of the USA, Habitat for Humanity International and Catholic Charities USA. Empowering people to build connections across differing communities, it includes an interactive quiz, a storybuilder and access to a free course on bridgebuilding. In this era of deep division, these well-constructed, user-friendly sites offer a welcome respite.” – APEX Awards for Publication Excellence
Marketing & Communications Administrator
Interfaith America (fka Interfaith Youth Core)
Sept. 2021 – August 2022
- Spearheaded a comprehensive rebranding initiative, aligning the organization’s brand identity with its updated mission and vision.
- Managed a website migration project to meet evolving organizational needs. Coordinated content migration and new content creation in partnership with internal stakeholders and external design agencies.
- Developed and executed email marketing campaigns, maintained a content calendar, and improved newsletter design and functionality to increase audience engagement.
- Designed branded collateral for social media, email, and print.
Marketing & Communications & Program Assistant
Interfaith America (fka Interfaith Youth Core)
July 2019 – Sept. 2021
- Conducted data quality analyses and contributed to developing Salesforce data standardization policies.
- Drafted communications, co-facilitated engagement opportunities, and supported the selection processes for three granting programs.
- Authored briefings ahead of campus engagements Interfaith America Founder and President, Eboo Patel.
Communications Coordinator
Center for Interfaith Dialogue
July 2019 – Sept. 2021
- Managed social media platforms, increasing followership threefold and maintaining consistent engagement strategies.
- Supported students in writing blog posts and compiling a journal of reflections on religion during the 2020-2021 school year.
Program Coordinator (Conversational English)
Greater University Tutoring Service
July 2019 – Sept. 2021
- Coordinated a volunteer-based conversational English tutoring program for international graduates and undergraduates, providing small group tutoring and educational programming to over 200 university affiliates per semester.
- Designed and led educational workshops, equipping students with the skills to understand cultural nuances in experiences such as professional development, classroom participation, and friendship making.
- Revamped tutor training manual and orientation to include comprehensive cultural awareness training and a clear description of volunteer expectations.
- Encouraged consistent interaction between tutors and tutees with weekly newsletter of conversation starters, events and educational programs of interest.
Education
Bachelor of Arts
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sept. 2015 – May 2019
Major: International Studies
Certificate: Religious Studies
Get to Know Me
I’m from Thiensville, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up enjoying family time, hiking, basketball, painting, and improv. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for college, where I graduated with a major in International Studies and certificate in Religious Studies in 2019.
I have lived in Chicago since graduating and hope to stay forever. I love the community I’ve found here and feel grateful to call this beautiful city home. I enjoy cuddling with my chihuahua, listening to new music and podcasts, playing basketball, and cooking. I volunteer with my local mutual aid group, and share opportunities to give and receive aid on social media and the website.
In college, I enjoyed being involved in international student programming via the BRIDGE program and my role as a Conversational English Coordinator at the Greater University Tutoring Service. I was an Interfaith Fellow at the University’s Center for Interfaith Dialogue, and supported the Center part-time as a Communications Coordinator until 2021.
Portfolio 