Linda Staunch is President and CEO of Linda Staunch &Associates, an innovative public relations/marketing communications agency in New Bern, North Carolina. Her clientele spans a range of businesses, professions, and organizations including tourism, health care, economic development, education and small business initiatives. In addition to public relations, marketing, and advertising expertise, Linda has extensive experience in event planning and management. In 2010, she was the Executive Director of New Bern’s 300th Anniversary, a year-long event spanning national and international outreach and including strategic planning, event management, media relations, fundraising, and much more. Her portfolio of event marketing includes coordination and consultation with the Pepsi 100th Anniversary celebration in 1998, Pepsi America’s Sail in 2006, Morehead City’s Sesquicentennial in 2007, and several successful Retirement Expos. She has won numerous awards for strategic communication programming.
Linda currently co-produces and hosts the popular local television show “Around Town…with Linda Staunch”, which appears on the local cable channel and on FOX TV in the eastern region. The program features local and national personalities and activities and is dedicated to education and information presented in an entertaining format.
Linda has been active in numerous local, state, and national professional organizations. She serves as a board member of the Craven County Tourism Development Authority (TDA), and is past President of the Craven County Chamber of Commerce Board and a member of the Carteret and Havelock Chambers as well. She served as a member of the North Carolina Chamber Board for 8 years. Linda is a board member of the North Carolina Symphony state board and President of the local symphony board, and a board member of the North Carolina Community Foundation and past President of the Craven County board. In addition she is a board member of Mount Olive College; board member of the UNC Linenberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; board member of the Friends of North Carolina Maritime Museum; and Friends of Cape Lookout; and advisory board member of the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. She has served on the boards of the Swiss Bear, Merci Clinic, American Red Cross, Centura Bank (New Bern), American Heart Association (Craven County), the New Bern Military Alliance, and the Craven Community College Foundation.
Linda has served on the boards of the American Hospital Association Society for Health Care Marketing and Public Relations, and the Carolinas Health Care Public Relations and Marketing Society. She served for many years on the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council. In addition she has been tapped for numerous task forces and advisory committees including the Craven County Strategic Planning efforts in 1998 and 1994. She is a frequent guest speaker covering a variety of topics.
Prior to establishing her agency in 1995, Linda was a member of the senior executive board at Craven Regional Medical Center, a leading health provider in coastal Carolina. There she was responsible for marketing, public relations, strategic planning, government relations, fund-raising and volunteer administration.
Linda is a graduate of Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina, and of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned a Master’s Degree at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.
Linda and her husband Dick live in New Bern, and are the parents of three adult daughters, and grandparents of 4 grandchildren. They are longtime members of First Presbyterian Church.
