Presentations for executive director of Marketing to be held the next two weeks

Southern Oregon University is looking for a new executive director of Marketing, and will be holding presentations in the coming weeks where the three candidates competing for the position can present their qualifications.

The university is looking for an individual who can communicate the vision of SOU and create a brand image for the school.

Candidates will also be expected to talk about the “challenges of marketing higher education” and “the influence of social media,” according to an email sent out by the Office of the President.

“The school hasn’t had a big-picture marketing director for around five or so years,” said Joan McBee, the chair of the search committee which was tasked with selecting the applicants. “We do a lot of things great, but we don’t tell a great story about it. We need someone who can tell that story.”

The presentations will all take place in room 330 of the Stevenson Union on Jan. 31, Feb. 4, and Feb. 11. They will run from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m., and are open for all students to attend.

Mark Tremonte, the first candidate, had his presentation on Jan. 31. He is the founder and managing partner at Foot Creek Consulting and has served as vice president at Pointmarc Corporation. He has also worked for both Apple and Microsoft, having most recently been the director overseeing the development and launch of the Windows Phone 7.

The second candidate is William Smith, Jr. His presentation will be on Feb. 4.  He received his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Arkansas, and has experience as the director of marketing at Northwestern State University. He also served as the assistant athletic director for new media at the University of Arkansas.

Blair Garland will be presenting on Feb. 11. A graduate of Harvard’s Management Development Program and a marketing major at Virginia Tech, he has served as director of marketing at Roanoke College for the past ten years. He also has experience as the product marketing manager for SONICblue and Extensis/Creativepro.com.

“We are looking for someone who understands the mission and community of SOU, especially the mission that the current president envisions for our school,” said McBee. “A vision of a school that is more involved in the community, and faculty who are more involved with the students.”

She encourages SOU students to attend these presentations where they will be given surveys to express their opinions regarding the applicants.

“If students come, it will give the candidates a good idea of who we are and who they will be representing,” she added.

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