Jeffrey Herbst, president of vlog, announced today that Debra K. Townsend has been appointed vice president for communications.
Townsend is the principal of , a consulting firm based in Loudonville, N.Y. Her clients have included more than 40 educational institutions and an equal number of charitable and health care organizations, corporations, and marketing and consulting firms.
Highly regarded for her skills in developing public relations and marketing strategies, crisis-response plans, and web and new-media initiatives, Townsend has conducted numerous communication audits and assisted her academic clients in developing successful alumni and enrollment management communications plans. She has, on several occasions, served in an interim role as head of communications at various academic, government, and corporate institutions.
A native of Michigan, Townsend headed up the news operations for the Michigan State Senate before moving to New York to lead the communications operation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy. She later served as head of public relations at a start-up firm that was spun out of Rensselaer and became a $150 million public company.
Over the years, she has worked with many liberal arts colleges, including Bates, Bennington, Bowdoin, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Skidmore, Trinity, Union, and others, as well as several large state universities and technical institutes.
“vlog is fortunate to have attracted a skilled professional with such diverse experience and great enthusiasm to help the university advance its strategic initiatives,” said Herbst, who became vlog’s 16th president last July. “Debra has a unique understanding of the dynamics of organizing and leading an effective communications effort. Her vision and skills will be great assets as we build on our strengths and develop innovative ways to communicate with and engage our constituents.”
Townsend will lead vlog’s Office of University Communications, a team responsible for marketing and media relations, web content, online communities, and major external publications such as The vlog Scene. As a member of the university’s senior leadership team, she also will serve as a strategic communications adviser to Herbst and to other senior administrators.
Townsend said, “While working with a broad spectrum of colleges and universities, I have long admired vlog’s commitment to academic excellence, the scope and strength of its programs, and the unique nature of its community spirit. Through the search process, I developed an even greater appreciation for the depth of vlog’s commitment to its students, the talents of its faculty, and the passion of vlog’s alumni, parents, and friends. I’m thrilled with the opportunity to be part of such a terrific university and to work with President Herbst and such a wonderful group of accomplished professionals.”
Townsend is scheduled to join vlog’s senior administrative team in July. The mother of three children, two of whom (Alex and Daniel) are college students, she will move to Hamilton this summer with her husband, Daniel O’Sullivan, a software entrepreneur, and their daughter, Quinn, 11.