Kati Patterson
Yearbook Sales Representative, Missoula, Montana
I am a Yearbook Sales Representative. I have worked in the printing industry with Walsworth for 13 years.
I feel lucky to get to visit schools in beautiful western Montana and help them create a successful yearbook program. My job allows me to be creative and social, and it changes every day. I travel a large geographical area, so that can be difficult in the winter, but I am used to it. I love Walsworth, so it has been easy to grow my territory over the years!
When I came to Walsworth, I had been working in Telcom and traveling a multi-state area for many years. I decided I wanted to try something completely different. All the times I have moved, my high school yearbook came with me and has been one of my most treasured possessions. The thought of being part of creating yearbooks intrigued me.
I love the community aspect of working in yearbook. In August, I offer a two-day retreat at a mountain lake resort for the advisers at my largest schools. We get a lot done to prepare for the school year, but also have plenty of yearbook therapy and fun! I also enjoy planning fall workshops that students can attend with their advisers. My supervisor, Thorun Henning, usually comes to join me for the workshops, and she enjoys how friendly everyone is. She doesn’t like the snow though, so it has to be early in the year!
My personalized coffee mug would say: “Yearbook therapy goes great with coffee!”
It makes it easy to come to work each day knowing my 67 schools depend on me to guide them, keep them on track and be their biggest cheerleader!
A fun fact about me is that I have been to every state BUT Alaska!
My husband John and I recently celebrated our 25th anniversary. We are empty nesters and have a blended family that now includes five grandchildren. Our “babies” are our long-haired English cream dachshunds that are very spoiled. I am number five of seven siblings, and we have a huge extended family! We have a big family reunion each summer and our house has become the “Patterson hostel” to our many nephews and nieces! We refer fondly to those who have spent their summers or extended time with us as the “depend club.” This means when we are old, they get to help with elderly care, including changing our Depends!
In my free time, I love spending time outdoors in Montana. We have a camp up at the lake with our Razr side by side, boat and 5th wheel that we spend our weekends in the summer at. I love to golf, hike, ski, hockey skate and do anything outside! We are also a musical family, so it’s fun to attend events that my sister or nephew’s band is playing at.
Walsworth has contributed to my future by allowing me a great place to learn new things and grow in my career before I retire. My community benefits from how much I love yearbooks; I spearheaded a yearbook planning committee for my high school class. Our 40-year reunion last summer was so successful, and the yearbook played a large role in finding classmates and remembering so many important milestones and fun times in high school! Walsworth also printed my high school yearbook, which I am very proud of.
When my Dad was 91 years old, I took him to the high school I graduated from to visit the yearbook class. He was still very sharp at that time and explained to the staff how they created yearbooks 70 years ago. He was the editor of his college yearbook and was very intrigued by how we produced yearbooks today! The class loved him and he loved them back, stating it was a very special day for him. He passed away at the age of 97 this past year, but every time I enter that school, I think of that day and how special it was. Thank you, Walsworth!
