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CHERIE KERR, founder and president of KerrPR, has been in the field of public relations for the past 38 years. She got her start with Martin Advertising, one of the oldest and most reputable advertising and public relations firms in Orange County. Kerr started her own firm in 1978, and since that time, she has created and managed hundreds of unique, out-of-the-box public relations campaigns and programs that have garnered her high praise and recognition for her many accomplishments. Her public relations approach is always creative, energetic, diligent, and integrity-based. Her results are a testament to her work. It is no secret that others in the field of public relations envy her achievements, talent, and reputation. She is known especially for her remarkable track record in crisis PR for celebrities, devising and implementing strategies to both push them into, and keep them out of, the press.

 

Along with Michael Eisner, Kerr was named one of “The Top Ten Most Sensational People” in Orange County in the early 90s by Orange Coast Magazine. She has won awards for her work from the Public Relations Society of America in crisis PR, and also won more than a dozen MAME statuettes from the Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference for her innovative PR creativity in real estate.

 

Well-versed in her field, Kerr has represented clients in virtually every industry, including law, real estate, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, technology, hospitality, education, transportation, and entertainment (music, film, and television). Over the past 16 years, the legal industry has become one of her prime areas of focus; she has created and launched numerous campaigns for more than three dozen law firms. She is frequently called upon to speak before groups and also has appeared on radio and television news and talk shows, speaking about public relations dos and don’ts and public speaking and communication skills. Most recently, Kerr was selected to be featured on a radio tour giving advice on how to be presidential, culled from the lessons in her book, “How to BE Presidential: The Secret Handbook for Top-Level Executives and Those Who Aspire to Be.”

 

Cherie Kerr is also a speaking and communications skills coach who assists major companies, corporations, and institutions through her KerrPR subsidiary, ExecuProv. Founded in 1983, this company has taught hundreds of individuals, managers, and top-level executives at such companies as Toyota, BP America, Ericsson, Kawasaki, Mitsubishi, Ingram Micro, Bank One, Delta Dental, Experian, Foothill Capital, PacifiCare, Allergan, The Irvine Company, Universal Studios, Fluor Corporation, 3i Implant, ConAgra Foods, The Hilton Hotel and Marriott Hotel Corporations, California Trucking Association, Office Max/Boise, Volcom, Nissan, Honda, Kia, Bank of America, BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse, Southern California Edison, Panasonic, Black & Decker, Mattel, and Office Depot, to name but a few. During her 33 years with this company, she also has worked for numerous government agencies, institutions and organizations. Some of these include the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, where she taught both midshipmen and faculty for eight years, and at West Point, working with cadets and officers. As a consultant for many corporate executives, she has helped them enhance their presentation style and demeanor, as well as aided them in preparing content for key speeches and major broadcast media interviews. She also has coached various members of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California and worked for the District Attorney and City Attorney offices throughout California.

 

Kerr enjoys an impeccable reputation among members of the media, including producers for such shows as ABC’s “20/20,” “Good Morning America,” “Anderson Cooper 360,” "CNN Headline News," “Nightline,” “The Today Show,” “The Sunday Show,” “Access Hollywood,” NBC Dateline” and “Entertainment Tonight,” to name but a few. Kerr has also booked clients on major local and national news networks, including NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, MSNBC, E!, and CNN. Editors and reporters from such publications as The Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, New York Times, Bloomberg/Newsweek, Investor’s Business Daily, ESPN, People Magazine, US Weekly, and many others have come to trust Kerr’s instincts on story ideas, as well as the pool of expert sources she sends them from her client roster. Wire services also call upon her almost daily for sources including Associated Press, Breitbart, and Reuter’s, among others. In addition, she secures a regular presence for her clients on major websites such as The Huffington Post, AOL.com, Yahoo!, TheStreet.com, Lawdragon, and dozens of news outlets. She herself is also quoted regularly in various media; she was recently featured during a 20-city radio tour for AOL.com on email etiquette.

 

An author of twelve books, nine of which feature self-help techniques on presentation and communications skills, she regularly shares her ideas and theories culled from her varied background and expertise in PR and communications. Kerr has also written a book on how to write sketch comedy and another featuring the how to’s of building original comedic characters. She also penned a critically-acclaimed memoir of her father’s life as a jazz musician entitled “Charlie’s Notes.” It was a winner in June 2011 at the New York Book Festival. She also is an award-winning lyricist. In addition, she has ghostwritten books (and dozens of columns) for her clients. Kerr’s books are available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and through ExecuProv’s website. They have sold in 10 foreign countries.

 

With an extensive background in improv and sketch comedy (Kerr was a founding member of the legendary L.A. Groundlings, whose alumni include Melissa McCarthy, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and “Saturday Night Live” writer Mikey Day, who got his start training under Kerr), she founded the Orange County Crazies sketch and improvisational organization, now in its 26th year. Having produced a number of comedy shorts for the O.C. Crazies, Kerr founded Ree-Invent Films in 2011 to expand her efforts into full-length feature films. She has written three full-length screenplays, and produced, wrote, and directed the award-winning feature film, “We’ve Got Balls.” The film garnered eight major awards along the film festival circuit and is distributed through Indie Rights. It is currently available on all major digital platforms, including iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Vimeo, FandangoNOW and Google Play. It recently was picked up in foreign markets as well. Kerr is currently in pre-production on her next feature-length project, "Small Claims," a highly-improvised comedy.

 

The mother of three and grandmother of five, her youngest son, filmmaker Drake Doremus, was the winner of the 2011 U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance for “Like Crazy.” Doremus trained under Kerr as a member of the O.C Crazies sketch and improv troupe, having started on Kerr’s stage at the age of six, and leaving for school at the American Film Institute at age 19. His latest film, "Equals," starring Kristen Stewart, was released in July 2016.