Cheri Winchester

As account supervisor, Cheri offers her expertise in hospitality, health care, and plant and life sciences communications and her background in the business and agriculture industries to Common Ground and its diverse clients.

In her account role, Cheri develops strategic communications programs that support product sales, build strong community relations, motivate employees and enhance brand recognition and credibility.

Throughout her public relations career, she has facilitated international media relations for clients, generating placements with TIME, Woman’s Day, Wall Street Journal, ABC’s The View, various industry trade publications and local broadcast and print outlets. Her community and media relations, crisis management and copywriting skills have supported companies such as Delaware North Companies (manager of properties such as Yosemite National Park, Kennedy Space Center and Delta Queen Steamboat Company), Sportservice, Monsanto Company, World Agricultural Forum, Saint Louis Zoo, SureVision and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, to name a few.

She has earned several awards for her public relations efforts on behalf of her clients, including the 2004 Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International “Golden Bell Public Relations Award” and the 2003 International Association of Business Communicators award for excellence in writing.

Cheri graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia’s agricultural journalism program where she worked as a reporter and promotions assistant for KOMU Channel 8, an NBC affiliate. Currently, she serves as a member of the Public Relations Society of America and president for the Troy Chamber of Commerce.