Stephanie Kundert is an Executive Vice President at Direct Impact, the grassroots arm of Burson. She has more than 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors, including developing, executing and managing multifaceted public affairs and media relations campaigns throughout the United States. In her role at Direct Impact, Stephanie helps clients navigate the local political landscape while providing guidance on stakeholder engagement, coalition building and effective messaging strategies to help build support for key policy objectives.

Stephanie’s client experience includes leading a national education and advocacy campaign to update EMS protocols for stroke patients in over 40 states through legislative and regulatory initiatives. The campaign earned a 2022 North American SABRE Award from PRovoke Media for “Best in Healthcare: Healthcare Providers” and was a “Best in Public Affairs” finalist at the 2022 PRWeek Healthcare & Pharma Communications Awards.

Throughout her tenure at Direct Impact and Burson, Stephanie has also managed multi-state strategic communications and advocacy initiatives on behalf of Fortune 500 companies and trade associations in the health care, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, retail, real estate, energy, manufacturing, natural resources, food and beverage sectors.

Prior to joining Direct Impact / Burson in 2017, Stephanie was a member of the firm’s field network in her native Wisconsin where she executed more than a dozen effective public affairs and community engagement programs across the Upper Midwest. This followed nearly a decade of working as a policy advisor in the Wisconsin State Assembly and as a campaign manager for state and federal races throughout her home state’s purple campaign trail. She began her career on Capitol Hill in the office of then-Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI).

Stephanie earned her B.A. in Political Science and International Studies as well as her M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is based in the Washington, DC office of Direct Impact / Burson.

Hometown Newspaper: The Independent Register