Alison Davis, who created and ran one of the country’s most influential employee communication consulting firms for more than 35 years, died in late December. She was 64. The cause was ovarian cancer which she battled for more than five years as she continued to run Davis & Company.

A universally acknowledged expert, Alison was a sought-after speaker on communication issues, leading sessions for such organizations as The Conference Board, Society of Human Resource Management, Public Relations Society of America and The International Association of Business Communicators with both knowledge and wit.

When asked what scared her, she said: “Logistics. I worry much more about how to get to the conference than I do about giving the keynote speech.”

A former online columnist for The New York Times and Inc., Alison was the author of among other books, The Definitive Guide to HR Communication, and Your Attention, Please which she wrote with her husband, business book author Paul B. Brown.

Said Paul: “To say I was a co-author is flattering but misleading. Alison did 110% of the work, the extra 10% being all the time she spent re-writing me—much for the better, I am embarrassed to say.”

A resident of New Jersey and Cape Cod, Alison earned her B.A. from Douglass College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Said David Pitre, Davis & Company’s CEO who will now run the firm: “Alison’s legacy will live on through Davis & Company and all our colleagues, clients and friends.”