Bridge Builder, Community Connector, Trusted Advisor & Possibly Your Next Team Player

Hi, I’m Pat Kappes.

Your strategic partner in transforming visions into reality with practical insight, sound judgment, and a community-oriented approach.

I thrive on connecting ideas to action and celebrating tangible results.

My expertise lies in helping organizations realize opportunities, navigate challenges, and align their goals with what matters most—to them and to their communities—through strategic communications, community engagement, funding strategy, advisory services, and coordinated project management.

How might these strategies work for you? Let’s connect!

With Integrity & Purpose

  • Designing and delivering cohesive communications and marketing strategies across platforms to craft effective messaging, strengthen visibility, build trust, and advance organizational goals. Services also include crisis communications support.

  • Building trust and fostering alignment between organizations and their communities through tailored engagement strategies, stakeholder outreach, and collaborative initiatives to support specific projects and advance shared goals.

  • Helping organizations secure funding through impactful grant proposals, efficient application process management, and aligning funding initiatives with organizational priorities—resulting in a strong track record of successful grant awards. Expertise also offered in developing or administering grant application and review processes.

  • Guiding capital development initiatives by analyzing community landscapes, identifying stakeholders, collaborators, and opportunities—and advising on strategies to align projects with local priorities and community needs.

  • Aligning resources, timelines, and deliverables to ensure seamless execution and successful outcomes for complex projects and initiatives.

What you can expect…

  • "Pat is the person you want to guide you through the complexities of community projects, tough assignments or when you simply need someone to bring ideas to fruition. She listens, asks insightful questions, then artfully steers a collaborative process whether it’s with in-house teams, external partners, or stakeholders. She is thoughtful, yet process-driven and understands how to move projects to an end goal. I have been fortunate to work with Pat for nearly a decade and now follow her work as a consultant. She brings passion to every project along with a can-do approach to problem-solving, while always mindful of the bottom line."

    — Marla Tambellini, Explore Asheville

  • "Pat has helped the Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville and the City of Asheville numerous times with grant writing and navigating the nuances of stringing together the necessary information to push a project across the finish line. In total, she has helped me secure over $20M in grant funding towards capital projects. If you have the opportunity, work with Pat!"

    Chris Corl, City of Asheville

  • “Pat has been instrumental in shaping how Naventure communicates its mission and connects with the public. As our communications leader, she worked with me to rebrand the company—collaborating on the development of our name, logo, and tagline—and has since unified our brand voice across operations in the Pisgah and Ocala National Forests. She established a comprehensive communications framework and developed our website and print materials to reflect that identity. Pat has elevated awareness of key initiatives—from the vehicle reservation system in Ocala to the Extended Stay Program in Pisgah after Hurricane Helene—while helping us demonstrate our innovation and stewardship to both the Forest Service and the public. Her leadership has made communications an integral part of how we serve visitors and partners.”

    — W. Ken Stamps, Naventure

  • “Pat and I had many occasions to collaborate over many years . . . always creating a 'win-win' for both of our organizations. Pat's talent for relationship building and problem solving benefited the Asheville community and many individual businesses—both non-profit and for-profit. When one looks around Asheville and realizes the many projects Pat had a hand in, it's significant!”

    — Jane Anderson, Asheville Independent Restaurant Association

  • “Pat can do anything she puts her mind and heart into. She is a wise, multi-talented communicator and project lead, never afraid to get uncomfortable in order to uncover new pathways and move toward important goals. A thoughtful champion for her community, her team and organizational priorities, Pat is a natural leader who I've seen bring big ideas to table and into fruition time and again. I would jump at any chance to work with this smart, hardworking and good-hearted human.”

    — Dodie Stephens, Explore Asheville

  • “I highly recommend Pat. We've worked together for several years on multiple community projects. Pat is a relationship builder. She is skilled at bringing together multiple stakeholders, listening to their unique perspectives, and finding a path forward while avoiding scope creep. She is organized, efficient, and sets realistic expectations. Pat is a real asset to any project.”

    — Katie Cornell, Arts AVL Arts Council

  • “Pat was responsive, collaborative and patient when we partnered on a number of client projects. She added loads of value to the creative process by both anticipating issues upfront and problem-solving challenges as they arose. I recommend her without reservation!”

    — Amanda Neville, Thinkso Creative

  • “Pat is a talented professional who brings a diverse portfolio of experience and expertise to her job. I have enjoyed working with her. She is a very capable manager with innovative ideas and project management skills, and would be a strong asset for any organization.”

    — Chris Cavanaugh, Magellan Strategy Group

  • “In an agency full of creative types battling with programmer types, Pat is a calming and reassuring yet focused and driven presence. She is always able to provide an eye for the bottom line and keep clients comfortable throughout the process.”

    — Matthew Mohr, Ops Divina Web Solutions

  • MountainTrue
  • City of Asheville
  • YMI Cultural Center
  • Naventure
  • Asheville Tourists
  • Asheville on Bikes
  • Arts AVL
  • Media Arts Project
  • Montreat College
  • Bob Lewis Ballpark
  • Asheville independent Restaurant Association
  • Virtelle Hospitality
  • Black Wall Street AVL

WHAT MATTERS TO YOU MATTERS TO ME |

WHAT MATTERS TO YOU MATTERS TO ME |

Let’s Connect