Johnson County reception to honor KU journalism grads, Callahan Creek firm

LAWRENCE -- Television anchor and University of Kansas graduate John Holt will host a reception Wednesday for new graduates of KU's integrated marketing communications program at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park.

The reception also will honor the Callahan Creek Inc. advertising and marketing agency of Lawrence for its 20th anniversary and for its establishment of a scholarship fund to support graduate-level studies in integrated marketing communications at Edwards.

Cindy Maude, CEO of Callahan Creek, has pledged $20,000 to the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications through the KU Endowment Association.

The reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at Central Exchange Educational Center, 6201 College Blvd., Suite 245 (south entrance), in Overland Park. Holt is an anchor at WDAF-TV, Kansas City's Fox affiliate.

The integrated marketing communications course of study trains professional communicators to find solutions for business problems from a managerial perspective. An IMC graduate develops strategies for applying the various methods of promotion. Business research, in-depth exploration of communication channels, customer retention through relationship marketing, segmentation, market planning and brand building are elements of the core curriculum.

Callahan Creek ranks among the area's top agencies, with clients including Kansas City-based Sprint, Providence Health Center and Children's Mercy Hospital. Other area clients include Hill's Pet Nutrition and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

For more information about marketing communications at the KU Edwards campus, contact Linda Miller at (913) 897-8416. For more information about Callahan Creek, contact Scott Richardson or Anne McCoy at (785) 838-4774.