Meet Kay Carney
Kay brings to SMC significant experience leading comprehensive internal and external communications campaigns for nonprofits, government agencies, and private firms. Her tenure of experience includes branding and messaging, media relations, policy and public affairs, public relations, crisis communications, content creation and editing, and strategic communications planning.
Kay's responsibilities at Saint Mary's include providing strategic support in content development for institutional publications, such as admissions and advancement communications, marketing collateral, including brochures, social media outreach, and email campaigns. Additionally, she will support SMC’s outreach to external media to promote the academic distinctiveness of the College, SMC's distinguished faculty and the strategic plan goals of the institution.
Most recently, Kay served as an executive strategic communications consultant for Peralta Community College District, Spelman College, Kaiser Permanente, U.S. Bank, Susan G. Komen, the California Department of Transportation, the City of Oakland, the City of San Francisco, Marin Community Foundation, the California Department of Health, Taproot Foundation, PG&E, A Safe Place, Visa, and others.
Prior to her successful work as a consultant, Kay served as vice president of community engagement and risk communications for Ogilvy Global Public Relations; vice president of communications for the San Francisco Theological Seminary (Graduate School of Theology); statewide director of communications for the American Lung Association of California; statewide director of communications for SEIU United Healthcare Workers West; vice president of consumer and corporate responsibility for Porter Novelli Global Public Relations; managing partner of CHF Partners Worldwide; and national vice president of communications for Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund.
A few of Kay’s notable accomplishments include receiving the Silver Anvil award for two television and radio public service spots she produced featuring acclaimed author/poet Maya Angelou and singer/actress Eartha Kitt as part of the “Every Woman Counts Every Year” breast cancer awareness campaign for the California Department of Health. She was also recognized for her successful launch of an online resource for green economy in partnership with the White House Summit on Community Colleges, generating national media coverage and substantially increasing the number of students enrolling in green technology and environmental programs across the United States. Kay received the City of Oakland Mayor’s award for Outstanding Service for Crisis Communications for managing national and international media during the Loma Prieta earthquake and Oakland Hills firestorm, and received the PC(USA) award for publication excellence for Chimes Magazine, the college magazine for the San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Kay attended UC Berkeley, receiving a BA in sociology and journalism; California State University East Bay, earning a MA in public administration; and Golden Gate University, where she completed all coursework and the comprehensive examination toward a doctorate in public administration, advancing to ABD (all but dissertation status).
Kay is actively involved as a member with the San Francisco Chapter of Links, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and Public Relations Society of America; serves on the executive board of the Aquarian of the Bay; and is national co-chair of the Spelman College Parent and Family Association. She is married to Vaughn Filmore and they have a daughter, Channing, who is a doctoral student at Pepperdine University.