After a holding a national search, Residential Life chose Catherine David to fill the recently vacated associate director of communication and development position.
Before receiving her new position, David was first hired as ResLife’s communications coordinator five years ago. She was promoted to assistant director of communications in December 2011 and worked under the pervious Associate Director of Communication and Development Jay High, David said.
High decided to leave after receiving a job offer from a local church, said ResLife Executive Director Steve Waller. High’s last day at the University was Nov. 15.
ResLife began a two-week, nationally advertised search for applicants Nov. 8, Waller said.
Job applicants were required to have at least eight years of experience in communication and a bachelor’s degree.
A search committee was formed and led by ResLife Assistant Director of Family and Graduate Housing Lori Patterson, said ResLife Director of Housing Karen Rockett. The committee reviewed applicants and narrowed the list down to three individuals.
The committee interviewed the three applicants before a decision was reached Nov. 26, Waller said.
The University was one of the first in the country to add a director of communications and development to its residential department in 2002, Waller said.
The position was created to help market the University’s residential buildings and ResLife to incoming students, Waller said.
One of the jobs of an associate director of communication and development is to help ResLife reach students in an effective way because the way they communicate and receive information is constantly changing, Waller said.
Waller said ResLife is now looking for ways to tell its story on social media sites like Twitter to better match how students communicate with each other.
High held the position since 2008, Waller said. During his time at the University, High was the force behind revamping campus residential tours and the creation of YouTube features on the residential halls.
Before High left the University, he replaced the old ResLife website with WordPress to help the department receive more feedback and data from students, Waller said.