BGSU names new Chief Communications Officer

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Robin Gerrow, assistant vice president in the Office of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, will be Bowling Green State University’s next Chief Communications Officer, President Mary Ellen Mazey has announced. Gerrow will join Marketing and Communications Sept. 30.

As a member of the president’s Cabinet, the Chief Communications Officer provides senior-level leadership direction for the development and execution of comprehensive marketing, communications, public relations and strategy.

“We had a strong pool of candidates from around the country, and I am pleased that we were able to bring Robin to Bowling Green,” Mazey said. “We were impressed by her skills and by the depth and breadth of her work experience. I’m confident she will be an important asset to the University in guiding our branding strategy, bringing BGSU national exposure and providing effective communication with our students, faculty and staff.”  

“I want to thank Dr. Mazey for offering me this opportunity,” Gerrow said. “BGSU is a wonderful university with outstanding students, faculty and staff, and I am thrilled to be joining the community. BGSU has a great story to tell, and I am looking forward to joining the team and sharing that story with Ohio, the nation and the world.”

Gerrow has 30 years’ experience in branding, marketing and public relations in higher education and the private sector. At The University of Texas at Austin, where she has served since 2001, she has been responsible for overseeing both external and internal communications, including media relations, crisis management, social media and publications, among other communication channels.

She also has extensive experience in the health care industry, having worked for medical centers in Texas and Louisiana and for the Texas Hospital Association.

In addition, from 1985-92 she was a research specialist and special projects coordinator for the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

A native of West Virginia, Gerrow holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marshall University and a master’s degree in communication management from Syracuse University. She is vice president of the Cabeceras Aid Project, a U.S. nongovernmental organization providing humanitarian aid to indigenous people in the Amazon Basin.

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(Posted August 31, 2011 )