Kathy Muscato

Experience

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  New York State Assembly

  Jan 1980 - Jan 1986

  Served as NYS Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink's regional rep. I loved Stanley. I missed writing. Hence, found a new job at RIT. An awesome entry-level position that unfortunately required almost weekly travel (by car! at your own expense!) to Albany from Buffalo (first) and then Rochester, which then required a second apartment (at your own expense!) in Albany. But the food was good there and made lots of lifelong friends. Got to write, take photos, kind of design stuff, and volunteer on many campaigns. Developed rapid-fire envelope-stuffing style. Got hooked on politics. Then, got promoted...

  • Regional Director

    Jan 1983 - Jan 1986

  • Editor-Writer

    Jan 1980 - Jan 1983
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  Rochester Institute of Technology

  Jan 1986 - Jan 1988

  Advertising Director

  I talked my way into this job, I had zero experience but it was what I wanted to do. In a brief time, pretty darn successful at creating some actual advertising for RIT's College of Continuing Education that didn't look like a tombstone ad. Also launched the Athenaeum at RIT, which...25 years later...became The Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at RIT, which Brand Cool rebranded. I got to have a do-over.

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  Muscato|Novak Communications

  Jan 1988 - Jan 1996

  Co-Owner

  Nine pretty cool years as a Partner with Paul Novak. We started out doing political campaigns (Mayor Ryan! Joe Morelle! A lot of Senators and Assemblyman) and then branched out into corporate work (Kodak! Xerox! Mercedes Benz!) with a nice mixture of NFP (Foodlink, Volunteer Legal Services). From the Michael Sterns Building to the Sibley Tower.

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  Kathleen Muscato Phrase|ology

  Jan 1997 - Jan 2003

  Owner

  A brief sojourn into freelance world as a copywriter. A lot of fun but I found myself sucked back into full-service, integrated marketing communications no matter how hard I tried. Hence, joined Brand Cool.

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  Brand Cool

  Jan 2004 - Feb 2014

  Chief Strategic Officer; Partner

  Wrapped up my career at Brand Cool overseeing client brand and marketing strategy work as well as agency operations, but over the years served as Chief Creative Officer, Creative Director, Copywriter, Research Director, and occasionally Account Executive, Interior Designer and Bottle Washer.