CSU officials test private-sector waters

FORT COLLINS — The top public relations executives from Colorado State University have left to open Isis Public Relations and Marketing.

Melissa Katsimpalis and Laura Sandell co-own the firm that specializes in developing communications and marketing campaigns, providing public-relations counseling and issues management, assisting with media relations, as well as fund raising and special-event planning.

“We want to help clients understand the evolving communications market and how they can use it,” Sandell said.

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At CSU, Katsimpalis was executive director of the marketing department, and Sandell managed its public and media relations unit. The two said they considered launching their own firm for some time.

“It came down to the challenge of starting our own business and the collaboration that would come from that, as well as the opportunity to reach out into the community more,” Katsimpalis said.

They are confident that the broad scope of experience gained at CSU will help them work with clients with varied business backgrounds.

“CSU essentially is a mini-city,” Sandell said. “We dealt with practically everything.”

Katsimpalis and Sandell felt one strength for their company would be community-based work. That could include bringing several different organizations to the table and guiding them through the marketing process to achieve a community goal.

“We want to partner with Northern Colorado business, civic, educational and community organizations to help our region maintain and expand its economic vitality and quality of life,” Katsimpalis said.

Isis’ clients in the area include National Technological University, Conflict Solutions – which offers facilitation and mediation services – and Worklife Designs, a human-resource training firm.

“We offer clients a variety of experience and level of service they won’t find anywhere else in the area, from developing and implementing broad, results-driven image campaigns to creating brochures, videos and other collateral materials tied directly to a company’s bottom line,” Sandell said.