After 30 years of service in municipal government and public education, City of Kannapolis Communications Director Annette Privette Keller has announced her retirement.

Throughout her career, Annette has been a leader in government communications, helping strengthen community engagement, advance professional development and implement strategic branding and crisis communications initiatives across North Carolina. Annette has held leadership positions in communications and public relations for the City of Kannapolis, City of Concord and Town of Matthews.

She led the implementation of strategic municipal branding initiatives in Kannapolis, Concord and Matthews, all of which remain in use today.

“It has been an amazing experience to work in Kannapolis and this region. I have been blessed to work with great teams in three remarkable cities as we worked to improve the lives of people in the region.  We have succeeded beyond our expectations in creating strategic brands that have garnered national economic development recognition for our region and revitalized our corner of the world.

It's now time for me to move on to new challenges, opportunities, and adventures. I will miss the camaraderie, friendships, and positive energy as we all worked together to transform and position Kannapolis and our region into a revitalized area with promising opportunities,” Privette Keller commented.

During her career she previously led communications for Mooresville Graded School District, served as Public Relations Manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and was editor of the Mooresville Tribune.

During her time in Kannapolis, Annette has played an important role in several major City initiatives, including the revitalization of Downtown Kannapolis, the establishment of the Kannapolis Youth Council, public art initiatives and the development of community wellness programs such as Run Kannapolis and Loop the Loop. She has also led strategic communications efforts, community engagement initiatives and emergency communications.

Annette has been a leader in advancing the government communications profession at both the state and national levels. In 2007, she founded North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C), which now serves hundreds of professionals statewide. She was also elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA) in 2015, holding several leadership positions, including President in 2025, when she became the first person from North Carolina to serve in that role.

Throughout her career, Anette has received more than 70 state and national awards recognizing her work in strategic communications, branding, marketing and crisis communications. Her honors include the Chris Coulson Award for Excellence in Communications, N.C. Press Association Awards, Top Woman in Business by Business Today, National School Public Relations Award of Merit and the ElectriCities Excellence in Public Power Communication Award.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Annette is active in numerous civic and community organizations. She currently serves on the boards of the Kannapolis Education Foundation, N.C. Open Government Coalition Board, Rowan County Tourism Authority and Mooresville Housing Authority.

Throughout her years in public service, Annette has made lasting contributions to local government communications, community engagement and professional development. Her leadership and dedication have helped strengthen the communities she has served and advance the government communications profession across North Carolina.