2/1/04
Women in Business: Christina Deegan
By Liz Issacs for Business Network
Meet Christina Deegan, the United Kingdom’s gift to Bloomington. Prior to
arriving in the U.S., Christina worked in public relations for a number of
companies in the UK, including being the first woman to train for management
for a multinational company.
Deegan says she was a beneficiary of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act in England.
Before the Act was implemented, gender roles largely determined one’s occupation.
She remembers a former boss once introducing her to "the four M’s": men, materials,
money and machines.
In addition to her public relations and management background, Deegan has been
involved with printing most of her life. "Printing and the excitement of creating
prints is very addictive," said Deegan. Her husband’s family was from the Midwest,
and after a visit to Bloomington to watch his brother play football for IU,
the couple felt that the community would be the ideal place to establish roots
and set up shop.
"Bloomington provides an environment that is good for building collegial relationships
with clients and vendors," noted Deegan. "The city is a patriotic community
with a strong network of professionals - a true creative treasure chest."
Since 1992, Christina has owned and operated Blackberry Press Design, Marketing,
and Displays, a full-service design firm nestled in a part of the former Hays
Grocery building just west of downtown, and the perfect venue to let the creative
juices flow. Blackberry Press’s services include graphic design, advertising,
marketing, copywriting, illustration, imaging, photography, web design, large
format graphics, retail displays and trade show displays.
According to Deegan, the company is one of the only full-service marketing
and design firms catering primarily to local businesses. Its clients include
Argentum Jewelry, WonderLab, The Helen G. Simon Hillel Center on the IU campus,
architect Christine Matheu, and the Women’s Leadership Forum.
Deegan is emphatic about nurturing and developing a strategic partnership with
each of her clients, offering complete service, and surrounding herself with
a staff that has a passion for its work. She considers her role as a woman
business owner an advantage in promoting a creative studio environment, and
expresses appreciation for the additional opportunities technology has created
for women in business such as herself.
###
To see the full edition of February 2004 Business Network follow this link