WASHINGTON, PA (Jan. 14, 2019)—After conducting a nationwide search, Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) has selected Kelly Kimberland, APR to serve as the College’s first Vice President for Communication and Marketing.
Kimberland, a ’91 W&J graduate, comes to the College with more than 20 years of leadership experience in marketing and communications. Most recently, she served as the Senior Director of Marketing Strategy for Commercial Products at UPMC Health Plan. She will join the College’s senior staff on Feb. 4, 2019.
“I am honored to be able to represent my alma mater as the Vice President of Communication and Marketing. W&J’s excellence in education and community provided me with the strong foundation needed to advance in my career, as well as building lifelong friendships,” said Kimberland. “I look forward to working with the W&J leadership team to advance the College’s mission and brand nationwide through innovative marketing campaigns to future generations, alumni and the community.”
W&J President John C. Knapp, Ph.D. commended Kimberland’s professional qualifications.
“Kelly is a superb fit for this highly important position,” Dr. Knapp said. “She brings deep experience in many facets of communication and marketing, as well as an impressive track record in managing effective teams.”
While at UPMC Health Plan, Kimberland oversaw the strategy and direction for multiple marketing campaigns and platforms, growing the brand’s audience and consumer base. Prior to her work at UPMC, Kimberland served as a manager of public relations for Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, where she had more than 1,500 feature stories placed in national and international news outlets, including Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC, CNN, and Fox News.
She is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), an organization through which she has received various awards since 2008, including induction into the PRSA Pittsburgh Hall of Fame in 2018. As a W&J alumna, she has given back to the College as a member of the Washington & Jefferson Alumni Executive Council and the professional advisor for the Washington & Jefferson College PRSA Student Association.
Kimberland holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from W&J and a master of arts degree in corporate communications from Duquesne University.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
