Special
Features / August 2007
A Woman's Way
 Kay Grose
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By Pat Lawrence
Kay Grose intended to be an elementary teacher, and, she is. But, it’s not first grade any more. What she teaches is elementary in a different way than she ever expected.
Kay attended Ohio Valley University, a private Christian college in Vienna,WV for her associate degree and completed her elementary education at Lipscomb University, a private Christian college in Nashville. Education and Christianity have intertwined to form the tap root of her life.
Now an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Kay teaches Religious Public Speaking and Life Assessment as part of OVU’s College of Professional Studies. She also has a public speaking business, Captured Heart Ministries, providing inspirational presentations for women at conferences and retreats across the country. And, she is Director of Marketing for Charton Management, which manages twenty two area Burger King restaurants.
Captured Hearts and Burger King seem an unlikely pairing, but Kay has made it a seamless one.
She says, “I taught private first grade for two years, and Early Childhood Education for several years at Marietta’s Washington Community College. I knew the owner of Charton Management. He wanted it to be very integrated with the community and thought my education skills would help make a presence in the community. My first project was ‘Stranger Awareness’, a program designed to help children respond safely to strangers. We began offering the program to schools and now we’ve been doing it for fourteen years.”
The early success quickly mushroomed into other school and community programs. Soon, the owner told Kay he’d like for her to do the company’s marketing, “to be the person who knew the most about marketing the company.”
Kay embraced the opportunity. She attended marketing seminars and conferences for Burger King International. But, she says, “I believe in finding people who know what to do and asking them how they do it. I identified people in each area of media who excelled at their job and spent hours with them. Our community is rich in experience and wisdom and people were generous, sharing what they knew. They provided an immeasurable amount of expertise for me to learn from.”
The experience was instrumental in another opportunity. Kay and fellow board members at the local Christian radio station were dismayed at the time and money women had to invest for faith conferences in other cities. “Between lodging, time off work, gas, food, entry fee, and child care, many women couldn’t afford to go. Six years ago, we started Women of Purpose conferences to draw on the depth of talent and knowledge in the Mid Ohio Valley.” The annual, day-long conference was a hit from the beginning. Although the radio station was sold three years ago, attendance has remained at about 600 women. “Women can come for what they need -which may be the keynote sessions or just to get out of the house for a day! - plus breakfast, a snack, and a boxed lunch for ten dollars.” Burger King is a platinum sponsor for the event.
Fifteen years ago, when Kay started with Charton Management, her job was directed to local media. But, she, says, “Jobs change when the industry and the competitive environment changes. Now, whatever happens in a Burger King restaurant in Minnesota, is seen here. If there’s a beef scare in California, we have to answer it here. Everything is on a global scope.”
Since marketing and public relations are so closely aligned, Kay must be as concerned with their guests’ impressions as much as advertising. Technology, travel and the rapid dissemination of information have affected marketing just as they have classroom learning. Kay says, “Whether it’s chalkboards or digital billboards, we must continually be looking at creative ways to get where we want to be and rethink elements of how we used to get there. ‘Old hat’ gets old much faster now!”
Kay spends 15-20 weekends each year speaking for Captured Heart Ministries. In July, she flew to Abilene, Texas, presenting three times. Her fee varies with the amount of travel and the number of presentations. “It’s a passion,” she says. “My passion is connecting people with Jesus - I can’t say it any other way- and I seek to enrich the lives of people around me through service. I will lead those who chose to follow, with strength and integrity, striving to be gracious and useful in my behavior.”
She says combining her two careers is “a huge challenge, possible only with an extremely supportive husband and an understanding employer.” And yet, she keeps finding the way. For the past five years, Kay has been president of the board of the local Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis, fighting a disease that kills adolescents. Once again, Burger King is a platinum sponsor.
As a business woman and a Christian, Kay’s life is a lesson in how to have it His way.
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