GE Appliances Sr. Manager of Corporate Communications & Community Engagement Katina Whitlock shares the key to getting a tough message right.
A self-described “curious creative,” Katina Whitlock thrives on uncovering how and why things work. That curiosity fuels a constant flow of fresh ideas and keeps her motivated to tackle communication challenges from new angles.
Whitlock, senior manager of corporate communications and community engagement at GE Appliances, leads the company’s philanthropy and global employee and community engagement efforts. A former producer and assignment editor with more than a decade in Louisville’s ABC, CBS, and NBC newsrooms, she brings newsroom timing and risk sense to executive counsel, crisis response, and day-of messaging.
In nonprofit and public-sector leadership roles, she served as a spokesperson and directed organizational communications, raising over $ 20 million for mission-driven work.
In addition, Whitlock serves in board leadership at the Muhammad Ali Center and on the Board of Trustees for Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and supports global organizations like Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
At GE Appliances, you lead philanthropy and community engagement. How do you make sure those efforts really connect with people and don’t just feel “corporate”?
At GE Appliances, our philanthropy and community engagement are guided by a philosophy we call “zero distance.” Zero distance from our employees, customers, consumers and community. That same principle shapes how I lead this work.
We set clear parameters for our engagement and philanthropic focus, but then we follow the passions of our employees in how those efforts come to life. Our volunteer council, which represents employee resource groups and business functions across the company, helps to ideate, vet and execute volunteer projects.
The diversity of our engagement reflects the diversity of our employees and the communities where they live. This isn’t an afterthought—it’s embedded in the culture of GE Appliances and who we are as a business. By ensuring that projects are personal to employees, impactful in their communities, and designed in partnership, we build authentic connections that don’t just feel “corporate.”
The result is not a top-down, “corporate” approach, but one where employees choose projects that are personal to them, deeply impactful in their communities, and aligned with co-creating solutions for community needs. This model empowers employees to see their own values reflected in the company’s engagement internally and externally, while building authentic connections that make a lasting difference for the communities where we live and work.
You’ve raised over $20 million for causes—what lessons from fundraising help you as a communicator today?
I became a professional fundraiser by joining a nonprofit that was started by and still maintains an affiliation with the last newsroom where I worked, Louisville’s ABC affiliate WHAS TV. The transition from journalism to fundraising was more seamless than I expected.
In the newsroom, my role was to listen carefully and tell people’s stories. The more I listened, the better I understood the uniqueness of each story and could frame why it mattered to viewers. As a fundraiser, I fell in love with philanthropy and the ability to make a difference by learning people’s intimate stories of both failure and success.
I acted as a liaison between donors and the organizations I represented helping to align an individual’s goals with the mission and needs of the nonprofit. In many ways, it was about matchmaking, helping donors see the possibilities and realize how their generosity could establish impact and legacy.
That experience taught me that the heart of both fundraising and communication is the same: listening first, then using the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and create lasting change.
You’ve been in the middle of a crisis response and advising leaders. What’s the key to getting a tough message right?
The key to getting a tough message right in a crisis is timing and honesty. You can’t wait until you have every answer you must respond quickly and truthfully. That means humanizing leaders in the process: telling people what you know, admitting what you don’t, and being clear about what’s still being worked out.
It’s important to present solutions with confidence but also ask for grace and flexibility as situations evolve. Whether it’s an elected official addressing their community or a business leader speaking to employees, the audience needs to hear both accountability and empathy.
Sometimes the most honest message is: “We don’t yet have all the details, but we have an experienced team working on solutions, and here’s when you’ll hear back from us.” Providing a clear timeline for updates shows respect for people’s emotional investment in the outcome, while reinforcing that leadership is actively working toward resolution.
Ultimately, the balance is speed, honesty, empathy, and follow-through- acknowledging uncertainty while giving people confidence that you’re moving toward solutions.
You also serve on boards and with community organizations. How has that shaped the way you approach your day-to-day comms work?
Following our “zero distance” philosophy, my service on boards and with community organizations keeps me connected to what people outside the company are thinking and feeling not just about GE Appliances, but about their communities as a whole. It’s a way of staying connected with the very audiences we aim to reach.
That direct involvement helps me practice audience segmentation in real time. By listening across different community groups, I gain insight into the unique priorities and language of each audience. So, when we craft external communications, I can bring those perspectives forward ensuring we meet people where they are, with messages that resonate.
It would be difficult to lead corporate community engagement without personally engaging in community myself. My presence and relationships also help to amplify our business voice authentically. They show that behind the GE Appliances name are real people who are also neighbors and colleagues in citizenship.
It’s also genuinely part of who I am. I wholeheartedly belove “To whom much is given, much is required.” I entered the communication industry to amplify the voices of the people. Community service and my community position allows me that opportunity while also grounding me in the continuous needs of others.
Silence can be powerful, but it can also backfire. How do you know when staying quiet will actually cause more harm?
Silence can be powerful because sometimes adding more words only fuels opinion, perspective, and chaos. But there are also moments when people are looking for leadership and perspective, and in those moments, silence can cause more harm than good.
The key is knowing who you are as a leader and as a business. If you’ve built a reputation as a trusted community or industry voice, staying silent when something directly impacts you or the people you represent can damage that trust. It leaves space for others to define who you are and can diminish the credibility you’ve worked hard to build.
And speaking up doesn’t always mean issuing a statement or verbal response. Sometimes actions truly speak louder than words. Demonstrating your values through action by leading people through what you do, not just what you say can be the most powerful response of all.
What’s one way you stay creative and motivated?
I define myself as a “curious creative.” I’m always intrigued by how and why something is or how something works. That mindset keeps me motivated and helps me approach communication challenges with fresh ideas.
My board and community engagement is a big part of that. People inspire me, their stories, their resilience, their perspectives and that inspiration helps me think more creatively about how to connect and communicate. I rarely read fiction; instead, I’m drawn to autobiographies that uncover the events that shape people’s lives and journeys. Those stories fuel my creativity because they remind me of the diverse ways people see and experience the world. I travel to the places mentioned in those biographies. I want to place my feet on that same ground.
I also find inspiration in my day-to-day work at GE Appliances, especially alongside our engineers. They’re always searching for a better way, asking “how” and “why,” and that spirit of curiosity is contagious. While I don’t want to live in the technical weeds every day, I enjoy and respect them. My superpower is translating those weeds into clear communication, taking complex ideas and bringing everyone together around the same puzzle and vision.
At the end of the day, my creativity comes from curiosity, people, and perspective, which remind me that there’s always another way to see, say, or solve something.
To learn how to build a grounded, repeatable framework for deciding if, when and how to respond to societal events, join Ragan’s Communications Boot Camp, where Katina Whitlock will share her strategy while protecting brand credibility and balancing authenticity with employee expectations and business strategy on Thursday, Sept. 18th. Register here.
Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.
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