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Contact: Wanda Blair
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Padilla Speer Beardsley welcomes Stacey Kanihan as director of Research practice

MINNEAPOLIS - Aug. 13, 2008 - Padilla Speer Beardsley, an independent public relations consulting firm with offices in Minneapolis and New York, announced that Stacey Kanihan, Ph.D., has joined the firm as director of its research practice. Kanihan will be responsible for developing and leading comprehensive market and communications research for many of the firm's clients in the agribusiness, consumer products, financial services, health care and medical device, manufacturing and technology industries.

A nationally recognized researcher whose work focuses on increasing the impact of an organization's communications strategy, Kanihan brings more than 20 years of experience in research, journalism and impact-measurement programs.

"The significant depth of our multiple specialties is attributable to hiring people who have specialized skills and credentials that all clients can benefit from," said Lynn Casey, Padilla Speer Beardsley chief executive officer. "Stacey is a great example of that philosophy in action, and we're thrilled to welcome her to the Padilla family."

Prior to joining the firm, Kanihan taught at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication where she also was lead researcher for a study on communication leadership practices of Fortune 500 corporate executives, sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Center. She also was an associate professor at the University of St. Thomas Department of Journalism and Mass Communication in St. Paul, Minn., where she conducted award-winning research on the effect of September 11, 2001 news coverage on American television viewers. Kanihan also brings significant experience as a public relations and communications professional, including employee communications and media relations work while at IBM's operations in San Jose, Calif. and Tampa, Fla. She began her career in journalism, working for several newspapers in Florida and Massachusetts as both reporter and editor.

Kanihan received her doctorate in communication from Stanford University, a master's degree in business administration from the University of South Florida, and a bachelor's degree in English from Wellesley College.

About Padilla Speer Beardsley
Padilla Speer Beardsley is an employee-owned, multi-specialty communications consulting firm with headquarters in Minneapolis and an office in New York. It is a founding partner of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a consortium of 100 independently owned partner offices in nearly 100 cities in more than 30 countries on six continents. Padilla also is a founder of Lumin Collaborative LLC, an intellectual collaborative dedicated to developing next-generation communications solutions. Clients include BASF, Cub Foods, Ernst & Young, General Mills, HB Fuller, Jim Beam Brands, Pentair, Rockwell Automation, Transamerica, UnitedHealthcare and Vital Images. The firm's Web site is www.psbpr.com.