Department of Communication

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
New Media Campaigns

Emily is a professional, hard-working, and detail-oriented digital marketing guru with a track record of professional accomplishments. She currently serves as a Senior Project Manager for New Media Campaigns, a full-service web design, development, and marketing firm that serves diverse clients and projects, from Fortune 500 brands and international programs to new startups and local non-profits. Emily holds an undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University and an MBA from Bellevue University.

CHIEF CLIENT SERVICE OFFICER
Targetbase

MARKETING MANAGER, SOCIAL MEDIA
EverBank

Rachele has worked in social media marketing for the last seven years. Her experience includes creating organic social media campaigns, overseeing influencer marketing campaigns, and developing strategic social media marketing plans.

NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER
The Post and Courier

Macon is a Politics Reporter for The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. She is covering the presidential election with a focus on rural communities. Macon is a 2023-2024 Report for America corps member. She previously covered city government and public safety for local newspapers in the Carolinas and Texas.

MANAGER, MEMBERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Country Music Association
Kayleigh Bentley is a human relationship, community & people-experience obsessed industry professional, with over 6 years’ experience in professional development, project management, & client relations. Before joining CMA in the Fall of 2022, Kayleigh served as the sole point of contact for thousands of Members at 2 separate organizational psychology consultancies; where she deepened relationships with members, strategized meaningful & long-lasting engagement plans, & crafted enriching initiatives to transform member satisfaction across the board. Professionally passionate about empowering others through education & personally inspired by music, Kayleigh has found her dream role as CMA’s Member Experience Manager. In her spare time, you can find Kayleigh antiquing, shopping for cheap records, or diving into historical fiction.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
N.C. Child

FOUNDER/OWNER
Fireside Creative

Emily Blevins currently serves as Communications Director for N.C. Child, a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances public policies that ensure every North Carolina child has the opportunity to thrive. Emily is also the founder of Fireside Creative. This boutique public relations consultancy helps nonprofits and philanthropies share the stories of their impact on the people and places they serve. Previously, Emily led marketing and communications for economic development agencies and community-centered philanthropies. She received her B.S. in Communication and Public Relations from Appalachian State University and her M.S. in Communication from North Carolina State University. 

SENIOR MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Tar Heel Sports Properties / LEARFIELD

Jack graduated from App State in 2016 and is currently a Senior Manager of Business Development with LEARFIELD's Tar Heel Sports Properties (THSP) in Chapel Hill, NC. THSP is the official multimedia rights holder of Carolina Athletics. Before arriving in Chapel Hill, he served in the same role for App State Sports Properties. Jack has career experience with the Oregon Ducks, Carolina Panthers, and College Football Playoff.

SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER
ACS Brand - The American Cancer Society

OWNER/OPERATOR
Kat Bundy Strategic Marketing

Kat Bundy is a strategic marketing professional based in Bristol, Tennessee. Kat owns her consulting business, co-owns a property management company, and is a Senior Marketing Manager for the American Cancer Society’s enterprise brand strategy team. In her work for the American Cancer Society, Kat played a major role in the 2022 launch of the updated ACS Brand. She has also driven strategy for end-of-year fundraising campaigns, volunteer engagement, digital & social fundraising, and a refreshed approach to Giving Tuesday promotions, which won ACS the largest share of voice on Giving Tuesday 2023. In her own business, Kat has partnered with organizations like a commercial airport, a utilities cooperative, and a $3 billion financial institution with more than 25 locations across three states. She also collaborates with small and growing non-profit organizations to help revolutionize their investment in marketing.

COMMUNICATION & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT
Information Technology Services, Appalachian State University

Ellen has been the Director of Marketing, Communication, and Engagement for the College of Arts and Sciences from 2017 to 2022. She is currently in charge of Communication and Instructional Support for Information Technology Services at App State. Ellen has experience in web management, workshop development, writing, event promotion and planning, design, photography, social media management, marketing, internal communication strategy, organizational change management, development, and alum engagement. She defended her thesis in January of 2024 on “Communication & Change Management Planning for Information Technology in Higher Education,” completing her master’s in Digital Communication from UNC Chapel Hill. 

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Big Loud

Upon graduation from App State in May of 2021, Kelly jumped into Nashville's music scene, where she thrived tremendously, exploring numerous avenues of the industry to learn where her strengths best fit. In 2022, Kelly landed on Big Loud's artist management team, home to some of the biggest names in the music industry. She works for artists such as Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ernest, Ashley Cooke, Mackenzie Porter, and Jake Worthington. Kelly is grateful for the career foundations and communications skillset that App State instilled while on campus.

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
Department of Communication, University of Utah

Jessica Chaplain, MA, is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on climate justice advocacy at UNFCCC COP conferences.

DISTRICT DIRECTOR
US House of Representatives (Rep. Jeff Jackson, NC-14) 

Larken Egleston is the Congressional District Director for U.S. Representative Jeff Jackson (NC-14). Egleston previously served two terms on the Charlotte City Council and represented Republic National Distributing Company as a brand ambassador for Western North Carolina. Egleston serves on the Board of Visitors at Appalachian State University and the board of directors for Preservation NC. Egleston has been named one of Charlotte’s Top 30 Under 30 (2010) by Elevate Lifestyle, Top 40 Under 40 (2020) by the Charlotte Business Journal, and is a Hunt Institute State Policy Fellow and a Political Partner of the Truman Project.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Harbor Picture Company

Gabriela Elder is the accomplished Director of Marketing at Harbor Picture Company, where she leads global integrated marketing and communications strategies while also overseeing the company's brand. With a keen eye for creativity and a strategic mindset, Gabriela leads a dynamic team of marketing professionals and creatives, driving growth through innovative marketing initiatives.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Communities In Schools of Cape Fear

Kendall McGee Englehart is the Communications Manager for Communities In Schools (CIS) of Cape Fear. She manages the nonprofit’s website, media relations, social media content creation, event marketing, and brand development. Englehart joined the CIS staff full-time in 2022 after leaving a career as a TV journalist for WECT News, where she covered New Hanover County crime and education.

MULTIMEDIA TRAINING SPECIALIST
Samaritan's Purse

Brianna Fisher is a 2018 graduate with a degree in Communication and a concentration in Electronic Media/Broadcasting. She is a Multimedia Training Specialist for Samaritan's Purse, using her media production background to create training videos and content.

CONTENT SPECIALIST
Prometheus Group

Kyleigh Grace graduated from Appalachian State University in 2018 with a degree in Communication. She began her career in Operations and transitioned to content writing and content management in 2020. Within her content management roles, she has created search engine optimized (SEO) content for companies in industries like mergers and acquisitions, software as a service (SaaS), and home services.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Lenoir-Rhyne University

Darsee Heath is the Associate Director for Strategic Marketing and Communications at Lenoir-Rhyne University, located in Hickory, NC. As the Associate Director, she is the project manager for the Office of Marketing and Communications; plans, writes, and edits the bi-annual Profile alumni magazine and Southern Bulletin publications; and assists with website strategy, content writing, and updates. Previously, Darsee was a digital content strategist, overseeing content delivery across Lenoir-Rhyne's digital channels, including institutional and third-party websites. She also managed, monitored, and created content for the official Lenoir-Rhyne social media channels and wrote and proofread copy for the website, Profile magazine, and various university communications.

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, STUDENT COUNCIL ADVISOR, HEAD SOFTBALL COACH
Williams High School

Kaitlyn Herbin graduated from App State with a Communication & Public Relations degree and a Political Science minor. After graduation, she worked in community outreach and engagement for the City of Burlington Parks and Recreation department. She then decided to move into the education world and pursued her Master’s degree in teaching from NC A&T. She is now a Social Studies teacher at Williams High School in Burlington, NC. She has become the Student Council Advisor, Head Softball Coach, and Teacher of the Year nominee at Williams. In her personal time, Kaitlyn advises the UNCG chapter of her sorority, Tri Sigma, spends time with her husband and daughter, and is pursuing Doctoral credits through the leadership academy at HPU.

COPYWRITER
Barker 

Lauren Hempen graduated in 2020 with a degree in English, Creative Writing and used her love for writing in the professional world as a Copywriter– thanks to a summer internship at a pharmaceutical marketing agency. She returned to the medium-sized agency for 2 years, copywriting print pieces, video scripts, social media ads, and websites. For the last year, she's been loving her remote position at a NYC-based, independent agency copywriting for both pharma and CPG accounts.

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS
Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

Bio coming soon!

TATOO PROJECTS COPYWRITING INTERN

As a recent grad from App State, Covey dove into the world of advertising with an extensive copywriting internship at Tattoo Projects advertising agency in Charlotte, NC. During her internship, she's tackled a wide array of projects— from speedways to breakfast joints to power tools and more. Covey served as President of Second Story Media and interned for Spring Forward during her time at App, which propelled her into the industry and helped her form lifelong connections. Now, she's excited to return and share her insights on the other side of the podium, having been in the students' shoes less than a year ago. Don't let her sweet demeanor fool you... when Covey's not crafting the perfect caption, she's serving up slams on the pickleball court.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Town of Harrisburg

Kacey Howard currently serves as the Communications Director for the Town of Harrisburg. Before working in Local Government Communications, Kacey spent six years working on local TV news in Raleigh and Charlotte. During that time, Kacey covered the 2020 election, George Floyd's funeral in Reaford, NC, the attack at the U.S. capitol, and more. In 2023, Kacey transitioned into the realm of local government communications. As Communications Director, Kacey effectively communicates with residents, stakeholders, and the broader community to ensure transparency and engagement.

STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE MANAGER
Town of Morrisville

Erin Hudson is the Strategic Performance Manager and Legislative Liaison for the Town of Morrisville, located just outside of Raleigh. She earned a BS in Communication with a concentration in Corporate Public Relations from Appalachian State University in 2004 and a Master of Public Administration through the Distance Education Program, Forsyth Cohort, in 2014. Even though she daydreamed of having a glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle of a Public Relations Executive, she found the next best thing – the unglamorous and highly stable life of a local government professional! 2024 marks the start of Erin's 17th year in local government service and she has supported communities ranging in size from just over 21,000 to nearly 237,000 residents.

NFL DRAFT INTERN
Green Bay Packers

TECH REPORTER
Sports Business Journal

Ethan Joyce is a Tech Reporter for the Sports Business Journal. He formerly covered Appalachian State and Wake Forest for the Winston-Salem Journal, where he voted for the Heisman Trophy and the AP Top 25 football/basketball polls. Ethan has earned eight top-10 recognitions from the Associated Press Sports Editors national writing contest, including first-place recognition for event coverage in 2021. He graduated from App State in 2013 and Syracuse in 2014.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND MEDIA RELATIONS
Samaritan's Purse

Kaitlyn currently oversees the marketing efforts for Samaritan’s Purse, including strategic campaign planning, email marketing, social media, public relations, podcast storytelling and spokesperson training. She holds a B.S. in Communications, Public Relations from Appalachian State University and an MBA from the University of North Alabama.

PRODUCER
WNEM TV5

Anna Kathman is a broadcast and digital producer at WNEM TV5, mid-Michigan’s number-one news source. She has been a part of the TV5 family for nearly three years, producing their 4 p.m. news show. She lives with her husband, Brandon, and their four pets in Saginaw. 

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region

Since graduating, Brandon Kathman has worked as a non-profit executive and publicist. He was employed for several years through Scouting and now serves the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region.

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
CSCCa (non-profit)

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
E&V Strategic Communications

Ure graduated from Appalachian State University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a concentration in Nonprofit Management. In 2022, she pursued her master’s in Business Administration at Meredith College and is expected to graduate in 2024. As a senior account manager, Ure utilizes her experience in digital and traditional media to help clients tell their stories in a strategic and impactful way. Combining her branding and communications strategy expertise, Ure focuses on creating unique plans for a personalized approach to dynamic issues.

SR. GLOBAL INSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Lenovo

Dylan Lowther, currently a Senior Global Inside Sales Representative supporting the accounts Verizon, AT&T, & T-Mobile. Prior to Lenovo, I worked for a South African & Spanish startup that was working to reduce carbon emissions for enterprise business travel, I was the only US based employee.

FREELANCE FILMMAKER

 Megan is the Director of Communications and Marketing at the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. She graduated from Appalachian State University in 2014 with a degree in –surprise– Cultural Anthropology! With a strong desire to remain in the high country, Megan worked numerous hospitality jobs, most notably helping build and create The Horton Hotel, where she found her niche in communications and marketing. Much of what Megan has learned, she's had to teach herself. Through a combination of networking, observing community leaders, and informal mentorships, she's made Boone home and landed a job she's truly passionate about. When she's not at work, you can typically find her trail running with her beloved canine companion, Darla.

SALES OPERATIONS ANALYST
Skullcandy

Ryan is a young professional with experience in the winter sports industry, customer service, HR support, and supply chain and logistics in the consumer electronics industry.

ADMISSIONS SPECIALIST
Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute

As an Admissions Specialist at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Cristian (he/they) is deeply passionate about higher education and the power of strong communication skills. They are determined to break down barriers and make education more accessible for all, especially marginalized populations. As a first-generation student at App State, Cristian was a member and Business Manager for The Appalachian. That experience profoundly impacted both their professional and personal lives and continues to drive their passion for supporting higher education opportunities for all.

OWNER
Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta

Reporter/Producer, WBTW-TV 1985-88
News/Sports Producer, WBRC-TV 1988-98
Sr. Sports Producer, WXIA-TV 1998-99
Sr. Producer/Executive Producer, The Weather Channel 1999-2009
Owner, Fetch! Pet Care franchise, Roswell, GA 2010- Present
Two-time Emmy Award winner
Mike has authored a book detailing his college football experiences, including App State games and games he covered as a journalist. The book is awaiting publication.

SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sinclair Public Affairs

As Production Manager at Sinclair Public Affairs, Kailey specializes in social media management, crisis management, media relations, and digital campaigning, bringing unique expertise to Sinclair PA clients. After graduating from Appalachian State University, where she studied crisis communications, Kailey joined the Sinclair PA team in 2020. She specializes in project management, content creation, and digital advertising campaigns. 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Centennial Authority/PNC Arena

Since 2011, Jeff Merritt has been the Executive Director of the Centennial Authority. The Authority oversees operations of the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, the 19,000-seat multi-purpose home of the Carolina Hurricanes and NC State University Men’s Basketball. He was recognized in 2001 as one of the Triangle Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”, is a recipient of North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and was recognized by the Raleigh News & Observer as the Most Influential Person in Raleigh-Durham sports for 2023. Jeff has had leadership roles in committees that pass local and county bond efforts for school construction, transportation, parks, and open space.

MARKETING CONTENT CREATIVE COPYWRITER
Empower Federal Credit Union

Izzy is a Creative Copywriter with a background in tech startups, currently working with a team to establish a marketing department for an 800 person credit union. She was a part of second story media during her time at App. Fun fact- She got her first job from a Twitter thread!

METEOROLOGIST
WFMY-TV

Christian Morgan joined the WFMY team of meteorologists in the Spring of 2019. Christian has deep roots in the Triad. Christian graduated from Appalachian State University in 2014, where he was the station manager and morning show host for the college radio station WASU-FM. After graduation, Christian worked full-time in Triad radio for the well-known stations Rock 92 and 107.5 KZL. His love for weather prompted him to return to school and obtain his meteorology credentials through Penn State University, finishing the program in December 2020.

DIRECTOR OF VIDEO OPERATIONS
Western Carolina University Athletics

Patrick Mullaney arrived on the Western Carolina campus in August of 2021 taking on the role of Assistant Director of Video Operations in the athletics department. He was promoted to the Director of Video Operations position in January 2024.

GROWTH STRATEGIST
Lazarus Design Team

Juliet started her career in nonprofit marketing and has since held multiple communications roles such as Account Management, Sales, and Influencer Marketing. When she's not posting things to do in the area on social media or building tiny houses with her husband, Juliet is most likely sleeping as she grows her first human, due July 25.

PLANNING SPECIALIST, MARKETING & SALE 
Green Bay Packers

Megan graduated from Appalachian State in 2016 with a Communication: Public Relations degree and a minor in Entrepreneurship. She also received her Master of Sport Management degree from the University of Florida. Megan currently works for the Green Bay Packers as the Planning Specialist, Marketing and Sales and focuses on large-scale events such as the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, college football and international soccer games, and concerts. She serves on the Marketing Committee for the Women's Fund of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, the Wellness Committee for the Green Bay Packers, and is a Big Sister through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

EMERGENCY HOUSING COORDINATOR
Hospitality House

Tori Rodriguez graduated from App State in ‘21 and began her time with Hospitality House of Northwest NC during an internship in her last semester. Her work includes coordinating housing searches and case management for individuals and families in the Emergency Shelter Program. In addition, she assists in the supervision of multiple full-time and part-time staff members.

SENIOR MANAGER OF SCHOLARSHIPS
Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Natasha Adams Spencer currently serves as Senior Manager of Scholarships at Thurgood Marshall College Fund, where she focuses her time on increasing access and opportunity to higher education resources for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). Before this role, she worked in higher education, where she spent over ten years building programming and curriculum, administrative systems, and communication strategies for institutions and their students and effectively managing tasks that led to organizational success and institutional and operational effectiveness.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carboro

Aury St. Germain joined The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro as the Communications and Events Coordinator in September of 2021 before being elevated to Communications Manager then Director of Communications and Business Development (November 2022- present). He arrived from the North Carolina athletics department, where he was charged with leading communications efforts for UNC’s women’s soccer, baseball, gymnastics, and wrestling programs. In his role with Carolina Athletics, he oversaw social media efforts, website management, media relations, and gameday communications for assigned sports.

LHH RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS

My name is Rebecca Stone and I graduated from Appalachian State in 2018 with a Public Relations degree not knowing what I wanted to do after graduation. I ended up taking a temp job as an Administrative Assistant at a recruiting firm that I was referred to by a friend of a friend because I was desperate to move out of my parent's house and live on my own. I was hired on as a recruiter four months later. I have now been a Talent Consultant with a global recruiting firm, LHH Recruitment Solutions for 4.5 years in Charlotte, NC where I specialize in professional recruitment within many different industries. I absolutely love my job because I get to help people find jobs and companies find great talent!

DIRECTOR OF CAMPAIGNS
People for the American Way

Rio Tazewell is the Director of Campaigns at People For the American Way, based in Washinton, DC. His primary area of focus is developing and leading national campaigns that build support for reforms to expand and protect our democratic freedoms, and push back against attempts to undermine our democracy and the rule of law. In his nearly 10 years at People For the American Way, Rio has coordinated countless campaign efforts to lobby Congress and state legislatures in support voting rights, government ethics, and campaign finance reform. He continues to use his strategic capabilities and broad network of connections to advocate for accountability in government and confront corruption. Prior to joining the team at People For the American Way, Rio worked as a social entrepreneur for two start-up nonprofits in Western North Carolina, advocating for community sustainability.

PRESIDENT
Brooke Wilson Marketing

Brooke Wilson is a passionate, problem-solving marketer whose experience spans agency (big and small), corporate and non-profit. Her expertise includes branding, marketing and content strategies, social media, and ad planning. Brooke's professional passion is understanding audiences. She’s led strategy and programs for leading companies, including Walmart, Delta Air Lines, Wells Fargo, Nike, Verizon Wireless, and Coca-Cola.

LECTURER
University of Tennessee

Gerald graduated in 2003 from Appstate and entered print news outlets in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. He switched to PR work and worked for several firms before working at the nation’s largest ambulance company in a national PR director role in crisis communications. Since 2017, he’s lectured on journalism at the University of Tennessee and teaches a digital content creation class. He lives in downtown Knoxville, TN, with his wife and cat. Gerald likes to travel domestically and internationally in his spare time, and tends his garden.

VICE PRESIDENT OF BROADCAST OPERATIONS
LEARFIELD 

Adam graduated from Appalachian State University in 2004 with a degree in Communication and a concentration in Electronic Media/Broadcasting. After spending two years doing audio and video work in athletics, he joined LEARFIELD in Winston-Salem. He serves as the vice president for broadcast operations, overseeing an outfit that produces live play-by-play and various college sports audio programming for over 40 schools nationwide. This fall, Adam will also enter his 9th season as the football radio voice at App State.

ALUMNI MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah

Annesley Womble is a higher-education Marketing and Communication professional with experience in emerging platforms, publishing/journalism, event planning, and executive production. She is inspired by global and personal impact stories.