Why choose Catalyst

Catalyst has extensive and almost unrivaled experience dealing with news media in Florida. Our clients benefit from Catalyst’s strong relationships with television, radio and print news outlets in the state’s largest media markets: Tampa, Orlando and Miami. We also have solid connections at the state level, working with the Capitol Press Corp. and the Associated Press. Additionally, we’ve promoted clients by working with social media content providers like ABC Action News’ Taste and See Tampa Bay.

Nationally, Catalyst’s Preston Rudie has worked with 60 Minutes, HBO’s Vice, Real Time with Bill Maher, arranged editorial meetings with local editorial boards including the Tampa Bay Times, and with major publications like TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

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founder and ceo

PRESTON RUDIE

The founder and CEO of Catalyst Communications Group, Preston spent 20 years working as a reporter in print, radio and television before joining former Congressman David Jolly’s staff as Communications Director and District Director. During his reporting career, which included time in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Tampa, Florida, Preston was honored with 24 Regional Emmy awards and 6 Edward R. Murrow awards. He is also a past National Press Photographer Association National Reporter of the Year finalist.

While working for Jolly, Preston was continually regarded as one of, if not the best Communications Director on Capitol Hill. During his 3 years in Washington D.C., Preston had Jolly featured on 60 Minutes along with regular appearances on national cable news networks like CNN, FOX News and FOX Business. In addition, his work landed Jolly in front of groups like the National Press Club, Association of Opinion Journalists and the Washington Post editorial board.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Preston launched Catalyst Communications Group in January 2017. Since then, he has quickly assembled a strong portfolio of clients ranging from non-profits to public agencies and private companies.

A Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers fan, Preston also appears in several episodes of the popular television show Forensic Files and is a Regional Vice-President for the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

senior CONSULTANT

TIM NICKENS

Tim Nickens worked for nearly 40 years as a journalist before retiring from the Tampa Bay Times in May 2020 and beginning a second career as a consultant. Tim grew up in Indiana and moved to Florida in 1983 to work as a reporter for the then-St. Petersburg Times. He covered the city of Clearwater and the city of St. Petersburg – including the city’s gamble in 1986 to build a domed stadium without a baseball team that ultimately proved successful and contributed to the downtown renaissance.

At the beginning of Gov. Bob Martinez’s administration in 1987, Tim moved to Tallahassee to cover state government for the Times. He walked down the hall at the Florida Press Center to work for the Miami Herald’s capital bureau in 1990, where he spent nearly six years before returning to St. Petersburg and the Times in late 1995. Back in St. Petersburg, Tim served as the Times’ political editor from 1998 to 2001 and led the coverage of the 2000 presidential election and the historic recount. As metro editor from 2001 to 2004, he supervised more than 50 reporters and editors covering the Tampa Bay region and the state. He moved to the editorial board in 2004 and became the editor of editorials for the state’s largest newspaper in 2008.

In 2013, Tim and a colleague won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing for a series that led to Pinellas County restoring fluoride to the drinking water. He has won numerous other national and state awards for editorial writing. After a journalism career that included writing and editing stories, editorials and columns on every governor and legislative session spanning parts of five decades, Tim has a deep knowledge of the intersection of public policy and politics in Tampa Bay, Florida and the nation.

Tim graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, and he received the School of Journalism’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. He has not missed a Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day since the team began play in 1998 – or a Bruce Springsteen tour since 1978. He and his wife have two adult daughters and live in St. Petersburg with two needy cats.

vice president

GRAYSON KAMM

Grayson’s background as a journalist, communications executive, and spokesperson in high-pressure situations combines to give Catalyst’s clients a fresh perspective on any communications challenge.

As a television, digital, and radio journalist in Florida for 18 years, Grayson built a reputation for creative storytelling and the ability to break down complex topics and engage viewers. Covering local news, politics, military affairs, and the U.S. space program, Grayson won three Emmy awards, 20 Associated Press awards, and a Combat Cross for bravery under fire from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

On the executive team at MOSI, the Museum of Science & Industry, Grayson led a turnaround of the organization’s public perception, rewrote its business plan, and helped draw in $2 million of community investment to revitalize the institution.

Grayson went on to lead communications for Hillsborough County Public Schools, the nation’s seventh-largest school district.

Grayson then led communications and community engagement in the office of Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren. He grew relationships with reporters in Florida and beyond.

Grayson earned a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Florida and proposed to his wife on the field of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in front of tens of thousands of Gator football fans. She said yes and they have made Tampa their home, where they are raising their two sons.

vice president

KAREN PINKSTON

Karen is passionate about helping Catalyst clients tell their stories to achieve their goals. Her experience in journalism, public affairs, and politics is an asset to our teams.

As a television news reporter, Karen spent nearly a decade uncovering stories for WVEC, KTAL, CNN and Fox News Channel. She won an Associated Press award for her investigation that led to schools offering more nutritious meals for children in need. After leaving the news in 2016, Karen served as a campaign manager for a hotly contested mayoral race in Norfolk, Virginia.

Most recently, Karen was the Communications Director for the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office. She highlighted the great work of law enforcement during a time when the public had lost trust, achieving the goal of securing positive press coverage every single week. She also created the agency's crisis communications strategy and led a social media campaign, which brought a 320 percent spike in recruitment for deputies. 

Karen holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University in Public Relations and Corporate Communications, and bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University. She is married to an active-duty U.S. Navy Officer, and has three young children.

media & public affairs consultant

RAECHELLE DAVIS

As a storytelling specialist, RaeChelle brings a deep understanding of reporters’ needs and a keen eye for attention-grabbing stories for her clients. Her instinct for identifying captivating stories fuel her passion for guiding Catalyst’s clients in sharing their most compelling narratives. With her expertise, clients can confidently showcase what sets them apart and resonates with audiences, ensuring their stories are seen and have lasting impact. 

Spending much of her career as a news anchor and reporter, RaeChelle has covered a multitude of stories. They range from covering the devastating wildfires in California to flying with the governor of Kansas in a Blackhawk helicopter to tour the damage from an EF-5 tornado. She traveled to Haiti to document the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, and she interviewed presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain. Yes, she also has chased her fair share of hurricanes.  

Expanding her skills beyond news, RaeChelle transitioned into media consulting, where she honed her ability to craft impactful messages and connect clients with diverse audiences. Her expertise in strategic communications led her to serve as the communications director for a congressional campaign. 

RaeChelle is a cum laude graduate of Western Kentucky University with a degree in broadcast news and a minor in political science. She resides in St. Petersburg with her husband and two children. When she’s not working with clients, she’s likely traveling or dreaming about their next adventure!

vice president

KENDRA OESTREICH

Kendra is a media and communications strategist and a former award-winning television news reporter. She first discovered her passion for news and sharing compelling stories when she anchored her junior high school morning show. She pursued her dreams and attained a mass communications degree from the University of South Dakota (Tom Brokaw's alma mater). Go Yotes!  

Kendra spent 18 years as a television news reporter and anchor in markets across the country—from her hometown of Rochester, Minnesota to Green Bay, Wisconsin before trading her snow boots and the frozen tundra for flip flops and the beach, working at stations in Orlando, Dallas and Tampa. During her news career, Kendra covered the big stories, including the Casey Anthony murder trial, during which she appeared on Nancy Grace and Larry King Live; reported on ice storms for the Weather Channel; deadly tornadoes and the West Fertilizer Company explosion while in Dallas; and the Steven Avery murder trial in Wisconsin. She is seen in the documentary about the Avery case, “Making a Murderer.” 

In her role with Hillsborough County Public Schools Office of Communications, Kendra used her media experience to help share positive stories happening in area schools. Most recently, as Director of Communications for Hillsborough Education Foundation, she consistently secured more than 100 earned media stories per year—increasing brand awareness for the nonprofit and leading to growth in programs and fundraising efforts.  

Kendra lives in Apollo Beach, and in her free time the Wisconsin native enjoys cheering on the Green Bay Packers, cruising, beach time and hanging out with lemon sharks and goliath grouper as a scuba diver. 

media & public affairs consultant

SABRINA FEHER

Sabrina Feher joined the Catalyst Communications team after 15 years as a journalist. She began working in television as a teenager at the Center for Advanced Technologies at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg. Her love for reporting and producing took her to the University of Florida, where she worked at the school’s radio and television stations, as well as WCJB TV20 News. Sabrina graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, then moved to Pensacola to work at WEAR-TV, before returning to her hometown where she worked at WTSP 10 Tampa Bay and most recently News Channel 8.

As a news producer, Sabrina has won an Emmy, an Edward R. Murrow award, and has been nominated for many others. Throughout her career in television news, Sabrina produced thousands of live newscasts and covered the BP oil spill, hurricanes, elections, and a global pandemic. She has also produced an Olympics special, the Gasparilla Parade, and live broadcasts of the championship boat parades for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In addition to her current work in media relations and public affairs, Sabrina is passionate about helping people improve their physical and mental health and teaches group fitness classes at Studio Physique in St. Petersburg.

Sabrina is a native of the Tampa Bay area. She grew up on St. Pete Beach and currently lives on Madeira Beach, which is why you can find her enjoying the sun, sand, and saltwater during her free time.

Director of video & Photography

GENE YAGLE

Gene has been viewing life through a lens since he first picked up a camera in high school in Miami. Before pursuing a career as a television photojournalist, he was a radio disc jockey in Brunswick, Ga. Two years later, Gene returned to Miami and worked as a news anchor and producer at a news/talk radio station. 

With that news background and his passion for photography, Gene transitioned to television photojournalism. He started as a soundperson for the NBC affiliate in Miami before moving to Fort Myers, Fl., as a photojournalist at WBBH/NBC. Two years later, he settled in Tampa Bay. Gene spent 37 years at WTSP/CBS as a photojournalist and chief photojournalist. He travelled the world shooting and editing stories from across the United States to Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. Gene has also worked on two independent documentaries. 

During his career he was named Florida Photographer of the Year, received over 30 regional Emmys, and numerous Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, and Edward R. Murrow awards. 

Gene has a radio/television broadcast degree from the University of Miami. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and son. At times, they trade the beaches for the mountains of North Carolina to enjoy cooler weather and beautiful hikes.