Kristin Roth-Schrefer

As the head of the Doris Duke Foundation's communications team, Kristin Roth-Schrefer leads the development, implementation and execution of enterprise-wide, integrated communications and marketing strategies that elevate the foundation's impact, influence and success toward its goals. This includes oversight of a team of staff members, agencies and individual contractors in the application of work across every channel in a successful brand's toolkit--including websites, media relations, social media, multimedia and video, branding, creative design, events, strategic partnerships, sponsored content, advertising, e-communications, thought leadership, and digital programming, among other emerging tactics. 

Throughout her more than 20-year career in the fields of media, entertainment, financial services and philanthropy, her work has remained both people- and purpose-driven, whatever her job title might be at any given moment. Prior to joining the foundation in 2011, she was a vice president at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where she led the creation of content and communications related to firm-sponsored philanthropy, employee volunteerism and small business management, and a communications manager at American Express, where, among other things, her support of executive communications and events for leaders at the C-suite level, including the CEO, garnered her the company's Corporate Affairs & Communications Award for Excellence.

This success was built on skillsets honed through many years as an award-winning journalist and editor for a variety of top-tier national media and publishing companies. Her cover stories, feature articles and news segments have appeared in outlets including, but not limited to, Billboard, MTV News, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Rolling Stone, Shape, Spin, USA Today, VH1 and Vibe, among others, and her editing can be seen in books produced by McGraw-Hill, The Princeton Review and Scholastic.

Roth-Schrefer earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where she first learned the art and science of powerful storytelling.

A constant champion for and student of evidence-based practices to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, she currently serves on the Communications Advisory Board of the Presidents' Council for Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy and on the Doris Duke Foundation's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group. She has also mentored early-career communications professionals through Philanthropy New York and served on the Communications Advisory Group at Philanthropy New York for six years.

For all press requests, please email kschrefer@dorisduke.org. For all other inquiries, please email comms@dorisduke.org.