Blast from the Past

Kate was born and raised along Florida’s Gulf Coast in the St. Pete/Clearwater area. She attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, earning a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. In 1998, shortly after graduating, she relocated to Scottsdale to be closer to family. Her father had moved to the area to marry his high school sweetheart—reuniting after 30 years—a story Kate still delights in sharing. Soon after arriving, she began her professional journey at Martz Public Relations, a firm familiar to many Scottsdale Leadership alumni. Her first account, Scottsdale Fashion Square, introduced her to the intersection of retail, destination marketing, and storytelling. Promoting the grand opening of Nordstrom and the center’s expanded luxury retail wing, including Tiffany & Co., cemented what would become her true professional passion: retail tourism.

That passion carried Kate in-house to Westcor in 2001, where she led tourism marketing efforts for Scottsdale Fashion Square before expanding her role to additional shopping centers across Arizona. When Westcor was acquired by Macerich, Kate assumed leadership of tourism marketing for a national portfolio of properties. She later guided redevelopment and marketing strategies for both Scottsdale Fashion Square and Biltmore Fashion Park, ultimately returning to an elevated role overseeing tourism marketing company-wide.

At first glance, retail and tourism may seem like separate worlds. However, international research consistently shows that shopping is the number-one activity for travelers visiting the United States—a reality that holds true for Scottsdale. Kate recognized this opportunity early and developed proactive, collaborative marketing programs designed to attract affluent travelers. Partnering with organizations such as Experience Scottsdale, along with hotels, resorts, and major attractions, she helped position Scottsdale as a premier destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Sharing Scottsdale’s beauty, serenity, and diversity of experiences with travel trade professionals around the world remains one of her favorite stories to tell.

Kate’s love for Scottsdale extends well beyond her professional career. She has dedicated significant time and energy to civic leadership and community service, serving as a Commissioner and Chair of the Tourism Development Commission, a member and Chair of the Tourism Advisory Task Force, a board member of the Scottsdale Charros Foundation, and a long-standing member of Experience Scottsdale’s Board of Directors, where she recently concluded five years as Chair. Her community involvement also includes national-level boards and support for causes centered on women, children, education, and the arts.

Kate participated in Scottsdale Leadership Class 26 after encouragement from Deanne Boynton-Grupp (Class 24). She graduated in 2012 and took great pride in her class’s Project Lead It Forward work at the Paiute Neighborhood Center. As an alumna, she continued to give back by serving on Scottsdale Leadership’s marketing and public relations committee.

Amidst these professional and civic commitments, Kate married her husband, John, nearly 17 years ago. Together, they are raising their daughters, now nine years old—a meaningful chapter of her life, which is a beautiful story in itself, but I’ll let Kate tell you that one when you get to know her.

After 25 years with Macerich, Kate chose to close one chapter and begin another, stepping into what she describes as a “Power Pause,” a term coined by author Neha Ruch. This intentional shift allows her to prioritize motherhood, deepen her community connections, and remain aligned with her core values during this season of life. The pause has enabled her to be fully present for her daughters’ school activities while staying engaged with organizations that make a difference for the community including Experience Scottsdale, where she now serves as Immediate Past Chair.

Alongside Doreen Reinke (Class 17) and Chris Irish (former Scottsdale Leadership Executive Director) she is helping develop Scottsdale Leadership’s C-Suite Executive Leadership Program. This high-caliber initiative is designed to bring visionary executives together to learn about community systems, foster collaborative leadership, expand economic opportunity, and inspire civic responsibility—while building a powerful peer network.

Reflecting on our conversation, one theme stood out above all others: Kate’s belief in connecting people and ideas for the common good. She has an exceptional ability to “connect the dots,” and she finds genuine fulfillment in doing so. Scottsdale is fortunate to have Kate Birchler as both an ambassador and a steward of the community—a role she continues to embrace with purpose, passion, and grace.