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Katy Dwyer Design helps businesses connect with their customers emotionally, visually, and digitally.
What does that mean for you and your business? In the short term, we help to build a brand culture; a guideline to follow; a pathway to better communication of your brand. In the long term, that will translate into a strong customer base, increased customer retention, better buzz, and heightened brand awareness.
We start by listening. You know your business inside and out—you’re the expert. But you shouldn’t have to worry about the ins and outs of marketing and branding in order to see success. Leave that to our experts. We’ll tap the greatest resource for your industry (you!) and use that to strategize for your brand or follow a visual identity and use that to implement effective marketing and communications initiatives. Whether it’s for your overall brand or a specific campaign—we can help.
We’re not your average marketing and design team. We are experts, partners, leaders, and equals. We know our craft and we want to work in tandem with you to provide our knowledge and our creativity, and to advance your brand. We listen and we engage in the conversation and in your goals. We build lasting relationships with our clients. We meet and exceed expectations. We’re Katy Dwyer Design.
Katy Dwyer
President & Creative Director
Katy knew in high school that she wanted to be a graphic designer. An editor on the school paper just as computers started to be used in publishing, she was creating paste-ups for the printer, and loving it. Lucky enough to be in a public high school with a strong art program, Katy opted to take a class called “Commercial Art.” There she began to learn the true art of graphic design: from techniques like airbrushing billboards to strategies such as what makes a strong and instantly impactful message, and the rest is history, as they say. She went on to Moravian College—a small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that happened to offer Graphic Design as a major (very rare at the time)—and earned her Bachelor’s Degree with honors.
Katy Dwyer has been working professionally as a graphic designer since 1999, when she began her career as the Assistant Art Director of Photo Insider Magazine. She then moved on to a New Jersey-based creative firm whose client roster included companies such as BMW, ADP, and Deloitte. After moving to the Hudson Valley, Katy worked as Creative Director at Clarke/Thompson Advertising & Design, a real estate marketing firm, helping to bring luxury NYC condos to market.
In 2009, she started Katy Dwyer Design to bring her design talents and marketing experience to local businesses. She currently serves as the president of the Board of Trustees of the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum. Katy is also the chairperson of The Arc of Mid-Hudson Humanitarian Awards Dinner, and a member of The Arc of Mid-Hudson‘s Foundation Board. She is a member of the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce. and a past co-chair of the Business Education Committee of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Additionally, Katy has stepped into the role of teacher, leading classes on marketing at the Women’s Enterprise Development Center‘s 60-hour Entrepreneurial Training Program in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Katy also presents seminars and workshops locally on branding and marketing. If you’re interested in having Katy as a speaker at your event, please contact her here.
When not busy crocheting or enjoying a good book, along with a glass of wine, Katy enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters at one of the many local Irish festivals in and around their home in Kingston, New York.
Karianna Haasch (she/her)
Director of Marketing & Communications
Karianna Haasch is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Katy Dwyer Design. In this role, Karianna creates marketing strategies for clients, assists with business development, and helps manage the KDD team. She delivers results by drawing upon her 9+ years of experience in integrated marketing communications, brand management, website development, content creation, and entrepreneurship.
Karianna has won multiple awards in recognition of her marketing expertise – most recently being named a 40 Under 40 Mover and Shaker in the Hudson Valley. She holds a Master of Science in International Business Management from Durham University (UK), where her dissertation focused on marketing and consumer behavior. Karianna also teaches marketing classes as an Adjunct Professor at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, New York.
A creative soul at heart, Karianna is always working on fun projects in her free time – including baking, painting, jewelry making, and playing her ukulele. She loves hiking, nature, and animals (especially her dog, Roxy). Originally from Wisconsin, she is also a huge fan of cheese and Green Bay Packers football.
Keri Jadrovski (she/her)
Marketing & Communications Strategist
Keri moved to the Hudson Valley in 2014. Wanting to expand upon her 12+ years of experience building community-focused brands, creating engaging online content, and copywriting, she received her B.A. in Communications and Public Relations from SUNY New Paltz. In her spare time, Keri manages a community chorus and enjoys DIY projects, reading, being outside, playing piano, and spending time with her husband, their two dogs, and their cat.
Joan Mena
Senior Graphic Designer
An expat from Honduras, Joan moved to the Hudson Valley in 2010. Her love for all things creative led her to pursue her Associates Degree in Graphic Design at SUNY Ulster Community College and BFA at SUNY New Paltz. Putting her acquired skills to work, Joan has collaborated with marketing teams to create and implement strategic digital marketing, social media, and graphic design campaigns for organizations like Rocking Horse Ranch, SplashDown Beach, Prestige Toyota and Hyundai, and Lydia’s Uniform & CHIEF Supply. Joan loves her 3 dogs, Maddie, Milli, and Mia. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends and family, traveling to new and exciting places, and trying different cuisines and food from different cultures.
Nina Guido
Graphic Designer
Nina is a Kingston native and has lived in various locations around the Hudson Valley. Having always had an interest in art and design, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from SUNY New Paltz in May of 2021. Nina enjoys designing with others and seeks out opportunities to learn and grow as both a designer and a person. She also loves exploring UX/UI and web design. During the summers of 2019 and 2020, Nina successfully interned at Katy Dwyer Design and honed in on her design skills. In her spare time, Nina enjoys horseback riding, cuddling with her rescue dog Rose & spending time in nature.
Maggie Nargi-Ackerbauer
Marketing & Communications Assistant
A Poughkeepsie local, Maggie grew up in the Hudson Valley and has learned to love building community in this area. She graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a Bachelor’s in Communication and Public Relations, which developed her passion for giving brands a voice to connect with their mission and authentically express themselves. She loves bringing diverse visual arts together in a way that flows organically and beautifully. Outside of work, Maggie enjoys painting, reading, and enjoying the outdoors with her husband and their English Cream Retrievers.
Cindy Arias
Office Manager
Originally from Queens, Cindy moved to the Hudson Valley in early 2021. She has over 7 years of administrative experience with organizations across the country — from Portland, OR to Brooklyn, NY. She excels at cultivating a warm workplace atmosphere while keeping our office organized and running smoothly. In her free time, Cindy enjoys being outdoors with her dog, hiking with her family, cooking, practicing yoga, and accumulating books.
“Bringing on Keri and the KDD team has made a huge difference. Thank you!!”
Executive Director of a Non-profit
“Katy Dwyer Design has supported my nonprofit, Young Survival Coalition (YSC) in brand, design and web needs for many years. KDD has provided me with quality work, thoughtful organization, attention to detail, and quick turnover on a variety of projects. I am so grateful for the entire team’s knowledge and insight in brand design, marketing, and social media and marketing strategy. Their expertise in various creative services and projects has helped to build brand awareness and grow YSC’s programming enrollment, social following, and overall network. They are absolutely one of the finest agencies I have ever worked with.”
Jamie Larson, Director of Marketing & Communications,
Young Survival Coalition
“Katy and her team are so professional and overall incredible – honored to work with them on the new look for Wallkill Valley Land Trust.”
Christine C. DeBoer, Executive Director,
Wallkill Valley Land Trust
“Katy Dwyer Design has done more for us in 6 months than we ever expected. They’ve helped us create a brand and message that is focused, engaging, and on point!”
Sue Sullivan, President & CEO,
iSER Consulting
“Such an incredibly positive experience! [They were] absolutely connected to our vision and delivered exceptional work right on schedule! Five star fabulous!!”
Steven DiGregorio, President,
Compass Asset Management Group
“Working with Katy and her team on our website rebuild was an absolute pleasure. They translated our needs beautifully on screen and took us through the build every step of the way. Upon launch, they provided us with a thorough tutorial to ensure we were able to successfully update, edit, and manage our site with ease. We can now proudly direct our clients, donors, and supporters to our website which effectively extends our reach and services and helps us stimulate a stronger connection to our community. Thank you, Katy Dwyer Design!”
Sarah Salem, Director of Regional Events,
Dutchess Outreach
“Katy Dwyer Design is the most professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and creative marketing agency in the area. Katy is a delight to work with and her team always rises to the occasion when my agency needs something. I highly recommend Katy Dwyer Design.”
Kelly Wright, Executive Director,
The ARC Mid-Hudson
“I feel like I can not even begin to say how amazing it has been working with Katy Dwyer Design. They are incredibly talented and was so quick and responsive. Anyone looking for a graphic designer I strongly recommend checking out Katy and her team.”
Alexis Mills, Board Member and Rock the Nest Event Chair
Sparrow’s Nest
“I wouldn’t work with anyone else if they paid ME. That’s how highly I think of Katy Dwyer Design”
Filomena Fanelli, CEO/Founder,
Impact PR & Communications
“We were looking to do something bold and innovative in the creation of our new website. After interviewing several web design companies, it was clear that Katy Dwyer Design had both the technical experience and the artistic creativity to help us create something truly special. We benefitted tremendously from Katy’s eye for design, her understanding of the intricacies and best practices of web navigation, and from her overall branding savvy. To visitors, our website is eye-catching and fun, but it also incorporates several features that make navigation, content maintenance and troubleshooting effortless.”
Lara Litchfield-Kimber, Executive Director,
Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum
“We are so appreciative of the website and marketing expertise provided to us by Katy Dwyer Design. We have tripled our business expectations for this year with their skilled guidance. Karianna, the Director of Marketing, and our point person, is a true pleasure. She is creative, responsive and very thorough. We are grateful for the relationship we have developed with this local company!”
Andrea Whitney, Director of Education,
The Institute for Holistic Health
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