William Kent Brunette is an experienced Washington, DC-based public relations professional who specializes in:

• Helping people from all walks of life understand complex consumer issues and apply them to their lives;

• Aiding companies in promoting their products and services to customers and potential customers; and

• Assisting companies and organizations in communicating policy positions to Members of Congress, federal regulators, media representatives, and the public. 

Brunette's writing skills have been recognized by:

• Three major publishing houses that have published his popular "how-to" books;

• American Express, AT&T, Bank Of America, Citibank, Southwestern Bell Communications, and other clients that have utilized his writing skills to get their messages across; and

• American Association of Retired Persons, Consumer Federation of America, and other national non-profit organizations that have collaborated with him.

The following will take you to Kent's activities in the indicated areas:  

Published Books

• The Mortgage Handbook: Protecting Yourself and Getting The Most For Your Home Financing Dollar (Penguin/Plume);

• Money In The Bank: How To Get The Most For Your Banking Dollar (Putnam/Perigee – co-authored with Consumer Federation of America Executive Director Stephen Brobeck); and

• Conquer Your Debt: How To Solve Your Credit Problems (Simon and Schuster/Prentice Hall).

Brunette also served as a contributing editor on financial law for the Court TV Cradle-To-Grave Legal Survival Guide (Little, Brown and Company).

Works In Progress

Kent is currently shopping around an innovative book proposal to re-write his first book, Conquer Your Debt.  He is also penning his first novel.  With a working title of Hello Again, this book humorously and lovingly explores the changing relationship between a father and his son after the death of a spouse.

Consumer Advocacy

Kent served as the chief federal consumer lobbyist for the 34-million member American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).  During his 15-year tenure at AARP, Brunette spearheaded congressional and regulatory activities on a wide variety of consumer topics, including:  personal finance, telecommunications, campaign finance reform, funerals, hearing aids, eyeglasses, clothing safety, transportation, and disability issues.  Brunette effectively communicated AARP positions to Members of Congress, federal agencies, and federal departments through a variety of means.  Written work products included:

• Oral statements and testimony submitted to various committees of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in public congressional hearings and for the record;

• Letters to Members of Congress, Administration officials, and other Washington policymakers promoting AARP's public policy positions;

• Letters, mailgrams, e-mails, and fax alerts to AARP volunteers across the country enlisting grassroots support for legislative/regulatory positions;

• Coalition briefing materials to keep diverse coalitions informed and active in legislative debates;

• Press releases and media packets distributed to national and other media representatives;

• Speeches given by Brunette and other AARP officials;

• Survey questionnaires and survey reports supporting AARP policy positions;

• Colorful graphics, tables, charts, visuals, and slide shows designed to capture media and congressional attention;

• Initial comments, rebuttal comments, and technical statements for the record filed in rulemaking and other proceedings at the Federal Reserve Board, Office Of The Comptroller, Financial Examinations Council, U.S. Department Of Treasury, U.S. Department Of Commerce, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and U.S. Office Of Consumer Affairs;

• Formal court briefs and legal pleadings challenging or supporting federal government actions; and

• Technical documents and reports.

Corporate Advocacy

Personal Finance

Creative

While at AARP, Brunette planned and executed two high visibility media campaigns that resulted in congressional passage of legislative measures supported by AARP.  In the baseball campaign (unveiled on the opening day of baseball season), Members of Congress were sent baseballs wrapped in the slogan "Don't throw consumers a curve on home equity legislation."  The hula hoops campaign, which occurred in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the invention of the toy, conveyed the following message to Congress: "Don't make consumers jump through hoops to gain access to basic banking services."  Both of these campaigns featured full-page Washington Post advertisements, press releases, and other materials that generated significant positive media attention.

Brunette has helped his corporate clients conceive, draft, and implement a variety of creative campaigns that were jointly conducted with major national advocacy organizations.  These outreaches have included:

• "got cookies?" - a holiday season consumer education campaign by Persona (an Internet privacy company) on identifying & eliminating computer cookies;

• "From Here To Security: Your Map To Financial Freedom" - a joint NationsBank/Consumer Federation of America investor education campaign;

• "Too Much Of A Good Thing May Be Hazardous To Your Wealth" - a joint NationsBank/Genus Credit Management outreach on the perils of declaring bankruptcy (print media column);

• "Money Matters For The Sandwich Generation" - a Citibank MasterCard/VISA-sponsored media and public forum tour to select cities on a range of financial issues (speech);

• "Staying In Touch: Technology Made Easy" - AT&T's radio news feature program; and

• "CreditAbility" - a joint American Express/BankCard Holders of America national media and public forum tour to cities across the country on shopping around for credit cards.

Media Cultivation

Over the years, Kent Brunette has been involved in a wide variety of media cultivation activities.  At AARP  During his 15 years as AARP's chief consumer lobbyist, Kent engaged in an on-going campaign to position himself and AARP as a trusted media resource on a variety of consumer issues ranging from funerals, to eyeglasses, to hearing aids, to flammable nightwear, to financial services, to communications services, to product safety issues, and beyond.  Media cultivation outreaches included scheduling, conducting, generating interest in, and drafting materials for: on-the-record & off-the-record reporter meetings, editorial boards, press conferences, video news releases, radio actualities, media packets, press releases, print media columns, radio media tours, satellite television tours, and in-person tours to specific markets.  In addition to pitching story ideas to the media, Brunette also responded to incoming media calls on disparate consumer issues.  As An Author  When promoting sales for his first book Conquer Your Debt: How To Solve Your Credit Problems (see above), Brunette personally scheduled and conducted his own 20-city media tour to major markets.  Kent landed interviews with local television network affiliates, radio stations, and newspapers in most major markets across the country.  He also generated national media attention in appearances on ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, Financial News Network, and other national broadcasts.  Similar media cultivation activities occurred with his other two books.  As A Radio Program Host & Syndicator  Brunette has also pitched two nationally syndicated radio news feature programs to countless numbers of radio news program directors throughout the country.  These included:  AT&T's Staying In Touch: Technology Made Easy & NationsBank's From Here To Security: Your Map To Financial Freedom (see below).

Consumer Marketing

Most of Kent Brunette's professional activities during the past 20+ years have involved direct marketing to consumers.  While at AARP, Brunette partnered with many national advocacy groups to educate Americans and support pro-consumer legislative/regulatory positions.  After leaving AARP and starting his own Washington, DC-based, pro-consumer, public relations firm, Usable News:  Broadcasting Bright Ideas To Consumers, Kent has helped design and implement education and advocacy outreaches for many major companies, including American Express, AT&T, Bank of America, Citibank, SBC, NationsBank, PrivaSeek, Universal Card Services, Persona, & Providence Health Services.  Projects involved working and often partnering with national non-profit advocacy organizations, including the American Association of Retired Persons, BankCard Holders of America, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Consumer Credit Counseling & Educational Services, Financial Empowerment Campaign, Genus Credit Management, Internet Consumers Organization, National Association of Individual Investors, National Consumer Law Center, National Consumers League, National Fraud Information Center, National Urban League, National Association Of Organizations On Aging, Money For Mail, & others.

Editorial

Radio Programs

• Staying In Touch: Technology Made Easy.  On the air three years, AT&T's nationally syndicated program was heard on 311 radio stations each weekday.  Two segments aired weekends on 43 other stations on the WOR Radio Network's "Into Tomorrow" program; and

• From Here To Security: Your Map To Financial Freedom.  This Bank of America regionally syndicated program aired for more than a year and was heard weekdays on 121 radio stations throughout Bank of America's franchise.

Kent has also written, edited, and distributed radio public service announcement series for Citibank (scripts) and Universal Card Services (scripts).

Grant Proposals

• Newspapers Project - to place 90+ years of historic Texas newspapers online;

• Map Project - to create an interactive map and feature historic Texas maps online;

• Guten Tag Yawl Project - to commemorate historic connections between Germany & central Texas.

Web Site Design & Content

• Washington Word / Usable News - a Washington, DC government advocacy & public relations firm;

• Robertson County TXGenWeb - a 1,000+ document Texas history and genealogy site;

• Hearne, Texas - an economic development website for the Hearne, Texas Chamber of Commerce; and

• Robertson County Texas - an economic development website for Robertson County, Texas.

History and Genealogy

Kent Brunette is an historian and amateur genealogist who, as the volunteer coordinator for the Robertson County TXGenWeb site (above), has created one of most comprehensive county history and genealogy websites in the nation.  Kent has extensively researched his family roots and has compiled a 8,500+ name GEDCOM file.  He also maintains a family history website at Related Robertson County Families.  Brunette frequently travels to Europe and throughout the U.S. to explore family-related sites.  He often writes articles about his exploits for local newspapers back home.  In Search Of Our German Roots and Dieckmanns In America are classic examples of Kent's narrative writing style.  Brunette's published master's thesis, The Historic Role Of The Speaker In The Texas House Of Representatives, is available through the University of Texas at Austin library.

Educational Background

Kent Brunette is a trained advocate.  A native of Hearne, Texas, Kent was awarded a B.A. in political science (with a dual major in history) from the University of Texas at Austin.  He also received his M.A. in political science from UT Austin.  A practicing member of the Texas and District of Columbia Bars, he received his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in Waco, Texas.

Writing Samples

Samples of Kent Brunette's clear writing style can be found at many of the hyperlinks above.

References Furnished Upon Request