David Kistle
senior vice president, research

David is well-known and respected in the public relations and communications industry. His work has received numerous awards from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Public Relations Society of America. David is the 2004-2005 chairman of IABC, which represents 13,000 communicators around the globe. In 2002, he was chair of the IABC Research Foundation. He also serves on the adjunct faculty of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Webster University in St. Louis.

In addition to these achievements, David has built a solid reputation by fusing 30 years of experience into an incomparable understanding of communication research, public opinion, strategic planning and organizational development. Today, he heads up the Padilla Speer Beardsley research practice, and works in all areas of the firm - consumer, health care, technology, public affairs and employee communication.

The scope of David's work is diverse. His recent efforts span from a community-based nonprofit to a multi-national manufacturer operating in 15 countries across five continents. The rest of his experience follows suit. Besides nonprofit organizations and manufacturing, he has counseled clients in health care, consumer products, financial services, gas and electric utilities, and education.

David graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He also holds a master's degree in advertising and marketing communication from the University of Illinois.

An accredited member of IABC, David is active in all levels of the organization. In addition to his current role, he has served as president of IABC/Minnesota, a member of IABC's Executive Board, and trustee and chair of the IABC Research Foundation.