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Bios
Kimberly Charles, Founder
Kimberly's work has covered a good part of the globe. She began in New York at the premium importing company Kobrand Corporation, where she served as Public Relations Director for a portfolio of internationally recognized brands including Taittinger Champagne, Louis Jadot Burgundies, Taylor Fladgate Ports and others. At that time, she oversaw all company media relations, co-marketing partnerships, winemaker travel with a highlight being tours she throughout France and Germany, putting her language and travel skills to great use. She was part of the team that launched and nurtured the marketing phenom brand Alizé de France. Her next move was to Northern California to become Director of Communications for E. & J. Gallo Winery, directing corporate and internal communications as well as focusing on the successful re-launch of the Gallo of Sonoma brand. She then accepted a position as Senior Vice President of Magnet Communications in San Francisco, where she built an impressive roster of wine industry clients including Perrier Jouet & G.H. Mumm Champagne brands, St.Supéry Winery & Vineyards, Fetzer Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery and Robert Mondavi Imports among many others. In the spring of 2003, Kimberly launched her own company, Charles Communications Associates in San Francisco, specializing in strategic branding, corporate social responsibility with a focus on launching, reinvigorating and repositioning of brands. This opened the world of client possibilities to her various social and cultural interests. Kimberly holds a B.A. in History & Government from Georgetown University and also successfully completed the Diploma course for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London in 1997, one the early group of American candidates to attempt this challenging exam. She is a member of Slow Food and Les Dames d'Escoffier San Francisco. She is also a Trustee of the River Network. She served as Vice President of the Society of Wine Educators (2003-2005) and a board member for five years. When she has time to breathe, Kimberly loves to travel and live it up. Her travel bug has fueled the fire for not just classic food and wine but also sake, arak, single malt scotch…she loves the lore tied into travel and gastronomy. Her travels to Russia, Lebanon, Iceland, Japan and Greenland continue to quench her thirst for exotic locales. That being said, after her worldly exploits, she finds her restored 1900 Victorian home in San Francisco’s Mission District to be a great place to share her love of cooking and entertaining with a great group of friends and colleagues. She is a devotee of the yogic practice and endeavors to stay centered in an ever-changing world. Kimberly: A Snapshot Restaurant: Lately, her passion is for food trucks, some favorites: Namu, Kung Fu Tacos, El Huarache Loco and of course the Crème Brulee Man (inside joke) Email: kcharles@charlescomm.com Kristin Namimoto, Account Executive
Kristin's appreciation for food and dining comes from her family, who despite their busy schedules always managed to gather around the table together every night for a home-cooked meal. Some of Kristin's best memories have been in the kitchen, learning to cook various Japanese seasonal and regional recipes from her mother and relatives— Kristin can trace back her adventurous nature to the moment she happily stepped on a plane alone at the age of 10 to spend the summer in Japan. From that point on, she spent countless summers with family in Japan, having just returned from living on the Southern island of Kyushu for the past two years. While abroad, Kristin taught English and worked to promote grassroots international relations on the prefectural level in a rural seaside town. In addition to her work with the city, she started a quarterly magazine for local expats and traveled twice to Andhra Pradesh, India to build homes in a Dalit village. Today, she serves as the volunteer director of public relations for Longitude, the organization that organizes annual volunteer trips to India. Prior to her time in Japan, Kristin worked at Los Angeles-based entertainment public relations firm B|W|R Public Relations. By day, she worked to create new ways to connect clients to media, stylists and celebrities, while by night she coordinated the media at red carpet events. It was at B|W|R that Kristin realized her passion for working with food and hospitality clients such as Asia de Cuba and the opening of a Michel Richard restaurant. This love of the food and hospitality industry, coupled with her continued passion for creative marketing and communications, led her to find the perfect position with Charles Communications Associates. She feels extremely fortunate to work with some of the best and brightest pioneers in both fields. When she isn’t cooking or traveling, Kristin enjoys being outdoors—whether in the garden harvesting herbs and vegetables or on long runs in new places. New to the city of San Francisco, Kristin revels in experiencing the diverse and truly innovative culinary scene. Kristin: A Snapshot Restaurant: Lucques in West Hollywood Email: kristin@charlescomm.com Catherine Chen, Intern
Her desire to live in a diverse city and urge for a strong education led her to the city of San Francisco. Soon after, her passion for fine culinary experiences coupled with the beauty of the city left her certain to stay. Catherine is currently a student at the University of San Francisco where she is a Media Studies major with an emphasis on Public Relations and Journalism. She left the city by the bay for a semester to study abroad in Italy where she studied classic Italian literature and architecture. Her studies and previous internship at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Arts have made her eager to experience more in the industry of public relations. Catherine has recently joined the Charles Communications Associates team as an intern where she aspires to learn from her esteemed colleagues that share the same interests as she her. In her free time, Catherine enjoys annual trips to China and Taiwan to visit family and learn more about her culture and heritage. Along her travels, she is most excited to sample exotic foods and explore surrounding cities of a metropolis. When in San Francisco, Catherine loves to entertain and cook for friends in her home. Catherine: A Snapshot Restaurant: Ristorante la Giostra in Florence and Franck’s in Shanghai Email: catherine@charlescomm.com Skye Morgan, Intern
Although Skye took advantage of the wondrous food and wine available to her in the Napa Valley, she eventually realized it was time to explore other renowned food and wine regions. For her junior year at University of California Santa Cruz, Skye studied abroad in Bordeaux, France. There, she discovered a new love of food and wine. Over the course of a year, Skye traveled to ten countries and over twenty cities, with a mission to taste the best local dishes and wines. Her ultimate epicurean epiphany occurred while sitting along the Garonne River in Bordeaux and enjoying a sublime bottle of 6-euro white wine with oysters from Arcachon at the Sunday, Chartrons Marché. At that moment, she made a commitment to food and wine as a career. After returning to the States, Skye continued to pursue her passion. As she finished up her degree in Global Economics, she interned in the marketing department at New Leaf Community Markets, a local natural foods store chain. With an understanding that great meals require fine wine, Skye recently took the ultimate crash course on the subject. She spent a week at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley enrolled in The Professional World of Wine, where she studied everything from viticulture and winemaking to food and wine pairing. About a month before graduating from college, Skye reached out to Charles Communications Associates. She immediately applied to the company's internship program to expand and refine her communications skills in the real-life professional world of food and wine with one of the leading companies in the field. We're thrilled to have her! Skye: A Snapshot Restaurant: Chez Paulette, Bordeaux Email: skye@charlescomm.com |
Kimberly has worked her PR and marketing mojo all over the world for close to 30 years. On both the client and the agency side, she has tackled marketing issues large and small on behalf of brands from start up to established. She has generated buzz & tangible results for wineries, gourmet food producers, nonprofit organizations, museums, hotels, perfume, luxury cars and more. Kimberly's work accentuates building a synergy with the various audiences of a client while imbuing their programs with meaning and resonance – all driven by bottom line results. Her particular passion is representing clients with a socially responsible or sustainable platform for conducting business at all levels. During her career, Kimberly has largely focused on the wine industry; however, she has also crafted cause marketing, co-branding and event programming with companies as diverse as BMW, Ritz-Carlton, American Express, the Marriott and Hyatt Hotel chains, the Tony Awards® among many others.
Combining her experiences in the entertainment industry with the international relations realm, Kristin brings a diverse background and fresh perspective to the Charles Communications team.
At the age of 10, Catherine knew wine would become a part of her life as she stepped foot onto her first vineyard in Paso Robles. The experience was magical as she was just old enough to appreciate her family’s love of wine. She spent countless nights with her large family around the dinner table enjoying her grandmother’s traditional Chinese cooking which led her to a love and passion for food.
Skye's love for food and wine began at a young age. Growing up in the beautiful Napa Valley, she was surrounded by some of the greatest food and wine in the country. Her parents, winemakers and cookbook authors, designated Skye as an official taster every evening, trying something new. She then began organizing potluck dinners with friends, sharing favorite recipes and pairing dishes with family wines. 
