Kathleen Foster
Anyone who knows Kathleen knows she loves history, news, and traveling. Over the course of her 25-year career as a journalist and producer, she has been fortunate enough to spend her life roaming the world, witnessing and recording historic events as they unfolded. Kathleen has covered an unmatched collection of breaking news stories, including on the ground war coverage in Iraq and Afghanistan, hurricanes, and earthquakes, and has interviewed top business and military leaders, local and state politicians, civil rights activists, foreign heads of state, two U.S. presidents and several presidential candidates.
At Brandman, Kathleen’s media training and crisis programs are shaped by the tricks of the trade she’s learned from her life on the road, interviewing newsmakers from all walks of life. In this capacity, she is excited to provide expanded media solutions to The Brandman Agency’s clients, including comprehensive crisis preparedness plans, media and spokesperson training, and real time, on-the-ground support.
“Journalists are the documenters of history.” Kathleen was a senior in high school when she noticed her Social Studies textbook was filled with newspaper articles. It was at that moment she decided she wanted to work in news. As a result, Kathleen has borne witness to some of the biggest global events of the 21st century, shared them with global audiences… and, of course, recuperated at some fabulous hotels in between!
As a true road warrior, Kathleen is often asked “Where have you been that you wish everyone could see?” Her answer: Jerusalem. She credits her first trip there in 1999 with broadening her world view and helping her to report on Middle East conflicts with greater context for years to come. Plus, she says: “The American Colony hotel is to die for!”
Her number one tip: “Never say ‘no comment!’ You might as well yell ‘I have something to hide!’”
Kathleen believes in creating your own destiny and always says, “Follow that little voice in your head, you never know where it might lead.” On a trip to Ireland, she visited a manor house in Cork County where in 1712 a young woman was caught spying on Freemasons. Rather than be killed, as would have been the penalty, she became the first ever female Freemason. Kathleen was so intrigued by the story and wanted to know more, but after discovering no novels had been written about it, something told her to write one herself. So, she did! Kathleen recently completed a historical fiction novel called “Doneraile Court: The Story of the Lady Freemason.”
Kathleen lives in New Jersey with her husband, Chris, and their identical twin daughters, Elizabeth & Mary (who can be seen on TV and movies from time to time.)