Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Mercer Van Schoor.
Hi Katie Mercer, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Katie Mercer Van Schoor and it’s an honor to be featured. Thank you for your interest.
I’ve always loved people and talking to everyone. Growing up in LaGrange, I genuinely liked everyone and wanted to get to hear everyone’s story. After graduating from LaGrange High School, I attended the University of Florida, where I studied telecommunications news and chased my dream of becoming a news anchor and reporter. .
For years, I loved the energy of the newsroom — anchoring, reporting, producing, shooting video, telling stories, and connecting with viewers. I even earned the recognition as Charlotte’s Best News Anchor. But over time, I felt a strong pull back home. I wanted to have a family that would have the same supportive community that raised me, and I wanted to serve that community in a meaningful way.
In 2017, I stepped into my role as Marketing and Communications Director for the City of LaGrange. It’s truly been the perfect blend of everything I love — storytelling, public service, community building, and helping people feel connected to where they live. I get to work with so many wonderful leaders who make my job easy. In May, I graduated with a Master’s in Communications and it has reinvigorated my joy for everything communications. I like to joke that I’m already thinking about what my third career will be. Growth and reinvention excite me.
But no matter how many roles I’ve held, my greatest accomplishment will always be my family. My husband James, our daughters Caroline, Vivienne, and Jacqueline, and our bulldog Rocco are my whole heart. They’re the reason I do what I do.
At my core, I just want to make a difference, tell meaningful stories, and help make LaGrange a little brighter. And I’m grateful every day that I get to do that in the place that raised me. I’m so grateful.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life never turns out how you expect it, but that’s the beauty is learning from mistakes. I’m pretty stubborn and when I put my mind to something I will make it happen. But I’ve learned that sometimes if you are open to another path, God gives you exactly what you need, and it can be even better than you could ever imagine. I’m still learning.
I worked my tail off early in my news career working long hours, weekends, and most holidays, but I loved it. I still miss it, but I’m not sure how I would fit in news these days considering how the industry is leaning into being more opinionated and diluted lately. Transitioning to Marketing/Communications was challenging, but I have really enjoyed learning a whole new side of communications. I’m just grateful my bosses were patient with me as I learned.
Of course, being a working mom, balancing career, family, and going back to school for my master’s was challenging, but I enjoyed the challenge of pushing myself to grow. Each step ultimately led me to be better at the work I love and the community I’m grateful to serve.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I serve as the Marketing and Communications Director for the City of LaGrange, which means I get to tell the story of my hometown every day. I oversee our city’s media relations, social media, LGTV, and several community programs I helped create, including LaGrange 101, the LaGrange Youth Council, the “Leaving LaGrange Better Than We Found It” cleanup initiative, the Mayor’s Health Initiative, the Mayor’s Reading Club, and the Mayor’s Christmas Ball. It’s been my honor to work with three incredible mayors during my tenure.
The Mayor’s Christmas Ball is especially meaningful to me. It was created by our late Mayor Willie T. Edmondson, the first African American mayor elected in LaGrange and a loving, charismatic leader who cared deeply about connecting with his constituents. He envisioned the Ball as a way to bring the community together — and it did. We sold out almost immediately. When he passed away less than a year into his term, his friend and successor, Mayor Jim Arrington, continued the event to honor his good friend’s legacy. Both mayors taught me a lot about being a better person. I have so much respect for them both. The proceeds of the Ball support the Willie T. Edmondson Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to four high school seniors who have a need. It’s a joy to play a small part in helping young people chase their dreams.
This year, we also created fun, free family events where the Mayor read aloud to families and every child received a book to take home. Seeing families from all neighborhoods come together, smiling and connecting through literacy, truly fills my heart.
I specialize in making government communication feel clear, human, and accessible. I love taking complex information and turning it into messaging that brings people together. I think I’m known for being approachable, transparent, and creative in the way I connect with our community. Some days I get calls from residents who just need someone to listen and other days I’m helping track down answers to issues I’ve never encountered before. My motto is always, “I may not know the answer, but I’ll do my best to help you.”
What I’m most proud of is the real impact these initiatives have had — watching young people step into leadership roles, seeing neighborhoods unite around shared goals, and hearing from residents who feel more informed, included, and valued. I love my community, and I love being able to help if I’m able.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
When I graduated in 1996, journalism looked completely different. It’s changed so much that it’s almost unrecognizable today. Now that I’m on the communications side, I see a major shift – communicators are becoming strategic advisors, not just the people who write media releases.
In the next decade, I think we’ll see a bigger focus on trust and transparency with clear and honest communications. I do believe communications will become more influential. Our leaders need support in staying aware, connected, and trustworthy. I’m really excited to be in this industry right now to help with this shift.
