2020 40 Under 40 Yearbook: Kaitlyn McConnell, 32

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Then: Media Relations Manager, CoxHealth
Now: Media Relations Manager, CoxHealth

It’s been only a year since Kaitlyn McConnell was named a 40 Under 40 honoree, but what a year it’s been. While McConnell’s position as media relations manager for CoxHealth hasn’t changed, she’s added book author to her resume.

Her book, “Passport to the Ozarks,” came out in late October 2019 – it’s an extension of OzarksAlive.com, the website she founded and publishes. Since then, McConnell has been making community presentations about the book and the 61 places featured.

She has been interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio and Missouri Life Magazine among other outlets, and Ozarks Alive was selected by PR Newswire as a favorite blog to watch. In addition, McConnell appears monthly to discuss Ozarks Alive stories on Ozarks Tonight, an Ozarks Fox television program.

In addition to hearing authentic Ozarks stories, McConnell says people like to have authentic experiences.

“I wanted to give people a good list of different places they might really enjoy experiencing and make them feel that the Ozarks is an even nicer place to be,” she says.