Kim Kleine joined the association as the vice president for public affairs on May 1, 2018. Kim has oversight of both communications/public affairs and government relations and develops and oversees the association’s communications strategies and programs to promote, enhance and protect the U.S. tire manufacturing industry’s reputation. She has nearly 30 years of policy, public affairs and executive leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining USTMA, Kim served as Managing Director for Burson-Marsteller’s Healthcare Practice where she led business development and provided executive-level communications and policy counsel for numerous clients. During her tenure at both Burson-Marsteller and the global PR firm Ketchum, Kim consulted for a leading financial services company, a global management consulting firm, a diversified pharmaceutical and health products company, and a biopharmaceutical company launching biologic medicines. Kim’s work focused primarily in the C-suite with clients seeking strategic communications counsel around corporate positioning, thought leadership, change management, policy and issues management, corporate messaging and story development, influencer campaigns, coalition building, internal employee communications, and all forms of paid and social media. Kim is a graduate of Bucknell University and attended the Wharton School for Business Writers, University of Pennsylvania as well as the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. She lives in Annapolis with her two teenage daughters and enjoys swimming, tennis and hiking and spending time with her extended family on Long Island’s South Fork beaches.