A strategic marketing and communications leader has been chosen as the first chief marketing and enrollment officer for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Lana Poole will begin April 1, serving as part of the chancellor’s senior leadership team. This new role will lead the offices of University Communications and Marketing, Admissions and Recruitment, and Financial Aid and Scholarships. These offices were previously overseen by two administrators.
Poole brings extensive marketing and communications experience to UW-Stevens Point. She has served as vice president for marketing and strategic communications at Westminster College, Fulton, Mo., for the past four years and as executive director of marketing at Columbia College, Columbia, Mo., from 2009 to 2015.
In her most recent position, Poole marshaled resources to develop a new brand strategy that leveraged the value of a Westminster education through constituency experiences to support recruitment and development goals. Collaborating with enrollment operations, she led a rebuild of the college’s website to drive digital strategies and recruitment.
At Columbia College, Poole centralized and established a business-focused marketing operation for the college’s 36 campuses and its online program, expanding its national footprint. In partnership with the University of Missouri, she led efforts to launch a nonprofit agency dedicated to ensuring children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
“Lana joins us at a remarkably challenging time as we seek to balance new requirements aimed at keeping our university community healthy and safe, while also continuing to attract prospective students. Lana brings a strong set of skills to support our response and to develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and enrollment management plan for all three UW-Stevens Point campuses,” said Chancellor Bernie Patterson.
Poole holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia and received her bachelor’s degree in organizational communications from Southwest Missouri State University.