A recent staffing restructure at Austin College has created a new Marketing and Communications team led by Dr. Lynn Z. Womble of Sherman as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of the College.
The restructuring combines the Office of Public Affairs, part of the President’s Office, and Advancement Communications, an arm of Institutional Advancement, to create the Institutional Marking and Communications Division.
Womble has served as director of public affairs at the College since March 2010, reporting to the president. In addition to several other responsibilities, she worked closely with members of the Advancement Communications team in the Institutional Advancement Division.
In the face of COVID-19 restrictions and closings, the two groups formed a crisis communications team that evidenced the expanded roles the combined team could accomplish, President Steven O’Day said in announcing the new division.
The recent change merged the six personnel of Advancement Communications and two previous public affairs staffers into Institutional Marketing and Communications under Womble’s leadership. She continues to report directly to the president.
Womble said she is pleased to bring this new team together and to continue to tell the stories of students, faculty, staff, friends, and alumni that illustrate the value of the Austin College education. “Communications has taken on so many forms, from the written word to social media to video clips,” Womble said. “Our new team is ready to illustrate the life of Austin College through all of these channels.”
Womble earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, her master’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington, and a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. She began her working life as a math teacher before moving into the business world. She came to Austin College with more than 20 years of experience in marketing, client building, and education from her work with the American Management Association, MLink Technologies, EDS, and Verizon.
Womble lives in Sherman with her husband, Joey, a real estate broker associate at Monument Realty.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.