Our Team

Cheray Keyes-Shima, APR, CPRC
Principal

In 1998, Cheray joined forces with Chris Carroll, APR, CPRC, to create KSC. Today, she specializes in the development and execution of marketing and public relations strategies for a wide variety of local and regional clients. She also serves as Executive Director of the Florida Public Relations Association, the field’s premier professional organization in the state of Florida. Over the course of her career, Cheray has experienced nearly all aspects of the marketing, public relations and advertising industries. She earned her undergraduate degree in public relations from Florida State University and is Accredited and Certified in Public Relations. She began her career assisting the United Way of Sarasota County during their annual campaign period. She then spent seven years as Community Development Director for First Step, Inc., a local provider of substance abuse treatment, where she was tasked with building the organization’s first public relations department. By the time she left, Cheray managed a staff of seven and a sizeable budget. Over the years, Cheray has received a number of honors for her work in the public relations industry, including several ADDYs and FPRA Golden Image Awards. In 2017, she received the Dillin Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Florida Public Relations Association. In addition to being honored for her professional achievements, Cheray has been recognized for her local volunteer work, which dates back over a decade. She has been a particularly active advocate for The Florida Center for Early Childhood Development. She served as the organization’s Board Chair in 2014 and 2015, and received an award for outstanding board service in 2016.

Erin Hoffer, MA, APR, CPRC
Account Executive

Erin has worked at KSC since November 2018. Prior to this, she spent more than 11 years with Sarasota County’s largest city, the City of North Port, as a professional government communicator in which she led many marketing, public relations, and advertising initiatives. She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications in 2002, and then later graduated with a master’s in communications with a specialization in social media in 2016. She is a 2008 graduate of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. Erin worked as a journalist for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune from 2003 to 2007. Erin earned her Accreditation in Public Relations in 2019 and became a Certified Public Relations Counselor in 2020. Erin has received several honors during her career in public relations, including Savvy Awards, a Golden Image Award and national speaking engagements. In her spare time, she sings and plays the acoustic guitar.

Rachel Partlow
Content Editor / Webmaster

Rachel joined the KSC team in September 2019 as a programmer. She graduated with honors from St. Petersburg College, where she studied web development. As a student, she interned with the Red Tent Women’s Initiative, an organization that aims to improve the lives of women through community building. As an intern, she managed the Initiative’s website, moving it to a new domain, optimizing page load speed and creating content. Originally from New Hampshire, Rachel moved to Florida to pursue a degree in nursing at the University of South Florida, before making a career change and returning home to NH. In her free time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys logic puzzles and playing video games, as well as hanging out with her dog, Riley.

Ryan Shima
Communications Specialist

Ryan Shima joined KSC in May 2023 as a Communications Specialist almost immediately after graduating from the University of Florida (UF) with a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the College of Journalism and Communications. Ryan also studied communications at the University of Central Florida (UCF), earning his associate’s degree and studying marketing.

During his studies at UCF, Ryan was an active member of the Japanese Language Club and the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), a prestigious leadership development program recognized for accepting only the top 8% of students.

At KSC, Ryan focuses on contributing to a wide range of projects, primarily dedicated to strategic development and creative writing, which are purposed for building and maintaining long-lasting relationships between its clients and their target audiences.

Outside the office, Ryan likes to dedicate his free time to creative endeavors such as portrait photography with a cinematic style and handcrafting original costumes and props all from scratch. He also enjoys attending car shows, which was spurred by his first car import, a 1996 Nissan Silvia, from Japan in 2021.