South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Edwards communicates the mission for Max Planck Florida
Katie Edwards is head of public communications at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, in Jupiter. It’s about the love of learning, says Edwards who has been a marketing and communications professional for 18 years, and is active within her industry as a member of the Public Relations Society of America’s Palm Beach chapter.
Her role is to get the public excited about the incredible research being done by the scientists, says Edwards. But just as importantly, she must communicate to the general population, peeling away layers of information and unpacking scientific jargon for the layman.
Most recently the director of communications for The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Edwards says understanding the mission helps digest information into a clear message.
One of the biggest hurdles in science is how to take a highly technical subject and make it understandable to the general public, says Edwards. Being a nonscientist is an advantage; it pushes her to ask more questions about the research, because if she can’t understand it, then neither can her audience.
On the job
Top personal professional goal :I would like to learn more concepts of basic neuroscience, and because our headquarters are located in Germany, I would like to learn to speak German.
Take risks: You can’t be afraid to fail, and you have to be very committed to approaching problems from many different angles. This applies just as much to science communicators as it does to researchers.
What’s new: The increasing role of The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) in Jupiter appointed Katie Edwards as the head of public communications.
storytelling in the public relations field, as more and more communications professionals are creating engaging narratives about their work, such as case studies or behind-the-scenes vignettes.
Advice to young professionals: for anyone thinking of working in communications, you have to be curious by nature, and a good listener. Find a critic/ mentor who is not afraid to edit your work fiercely; view your story from as many perspectives as possible.
On the side
Reading: Girl Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis; The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, by Oliver Sacks.
More photos & news: complex business litigation practice group, in Miami.
Paul R. DeMuro, Ph.D., of counsel in Nelson Mullins Broad and Cassel’s Fort Lauderdale office, has been elected to the board of directors of the national Medical Group Management Association, MGMA, for a three-year term.
Bryant Miller Olive P.A. announced the expansion of its Miami office to include a municipal government practice, which will be led by municipal government attorney Jose Smith. Smith joined the firm from his most recent position as city attorney for the city of North Miami Beach. Smith is currently a special magistrate in the city of North Miami.
Nason Yeager Gerson White & Lioce P.A. has added two new attorneys: Richard Levenstein and Abby Spears, who specialize in healthcare law, specifically with respect to the representation of physicians, other medical professionals, and hospital medicals staffs and their leadership, in West Palm Beach.
Entertainment
Jose Leonardo Marti has been named chief executive officer for Miamibased CMX Cinemas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cinemex based in Mexico. Marti has been spearheading the company’s growth expansion throughout the U.S., which now operates 37 locations, nearly 400 screens and 2,500 employees, in venues in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland and Colorado. CMX at Brickell City Centre celebrated its first year anniversary in June 2018. Marti
Finance