University Marketing and Communications

Dr. Adrienne King joined The University of Toledo as associate vice president of marketing and communications in January 2019.

Under her leadership, the UToledo marketing and communications teams launched the new “Fueling Tomorrows” brand in July 2019. The brand includes bold and confident images, typography and messaging that showcase the University’s positive momentum. Designed around seven core attributes –– focused, determined, inquisitive, supportive, innovative, community-minded and impactful –– the brand shows how The University of Toledo is powering possibility and fueling tomorrows. In addition to the new brand, the University developed a new mobile-first website, one of the first among UToledo’s peer institutions.

Adrienne previously served as vice president of university advancement for Murray State University, where she had led the branding, marketing and communication, alumni relations and development teams, as well as the Town and Gown Partnership Program since 2015.

Prior to Murray State, Adrienne held similar leadership positions for several higher education institutions as the director of marketing and communications for Idaho State University, director of relations and communications for West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and director of marketing for University of Charleston. Her marketing teams have won more than 20 different awards from organizations such as PRSA, CASE and RNL for their work on recruitment initiatives, crisis communications, social media campaigns and fundraising/crowdfunding projects.

Adrienne has a doctorate in educational leadership in higher education administration and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University, and bachelor’s degrees in graphic design and advertising and public relations from Marietta College.

She also is a graduate of the 2018 Leadership America program, a national executive leadership program designed for senior-level women who represent the broadest spectrum of professional, cultural, geographic and ethnic diversity.

Meghan Cunningham, executive director of marketing and communications, leads the communications team that promotes news and initiatives to internal and external stakeholders. As a journalist and public relations professional with more than 10 years of experience in the communications industry, Meghan has a passion for the written word with a deep appreciation for compelling storytelling and as close-to-perfect grammar as possible.

Prior to joining UToledo in 2010, Meghan was a reporter at the Toledo Blade newspaper, covering the crime and education beats and sharing a wide variety of other stories with the community. She also has reported for The Flint Journal and The County Press newspapers in Michigan. Meghan has an M.B.A. from UToledo and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

Meghan lives in Sylvania with her husband, Bob, and daughter, Eleanor and son, Owen. She enjoys tearjerker romance novels and films, trying new restaurants and squeezing in extra minutes of sleep whenever possible.

Megan Hilbert serves as the executive assistant to Dr. Adrienne King, associate vice president of marketing and communications. Megan joined the marketing and communications team August 2019 and is a graduate of UToledo with a Bachelor of Applied Organizational Technology. Her responsibilities include administrative support to the associate vice president and department directors, scheduling photography services for UToledo, and various other administrative duties.

Prior to UToledo Megan served as the administrative assistant at Lucas County Family and Children First Council and held other assistant positions throughout her career. Megan brings a background of high organization, collaboration, and customer service skills to the team.

Outside of work Megan enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and two children, Kylie and Gavin. She also loves to spend time with friends, go to concerts and local events, and plan last minute vacations whenever possible.

A longtime print journalist, Kirk Baird joined The University of Toledo Marketing and Communication team in October, 2020, as Internal Communications Manager, in the chief role of providing and editing content for UToledo News.

A Dallas native, Baird graduated from Texas Tech University with the stubborn dream of being a features writer and film critic at a daily newspaper.

His first career stop was at the Odessa American in Odessa, Texas, where, as a copy editor-turned entertainment editor, Baird came to see the beauty in the scrub tree desolation of West Texas (and to appreciate the hardscrabble resolve of those who defined themselves by it).

A few years later, he accepted a position at the Las Vegas Sun – a life-changing career move where Baird met his wife and became a father. At the Las Vegas Sun, Baird wrote feature and entertainment stories about Sin City eccentrics and strip mall neighborhoods, and quickly learned the fun in name-dropping celebrities he had interviewed. Baird considers his hourlong phone interview with Hunter S. Thompson to be his second favorite Las Vegas Sun story to share. His first? When Thompson called Baird back minutes after they hung up just to chat.

Baird joined the newspaper staff of the Toledo Blade as the paper’s film critic and pop culture editor in July, 2008. In his dozen years at The Blade, Baird expanded his newspaper presence to include weekly columns (which the Associated Press deemed to be among the best in Ohio), and generated more stories about those who live in Northwest Ohio than he can remember.

During his formative years as a journalist, Baird learned that everyone has a story to tell. They just need someone to tell it.

He is excited about telling those stories of the incredible students, faculty and staff at UToledo. When not telling stories, Baird is likely to be at home playing classic video games on his full-size arcade cabinet … and explaining to his beloved wife and daughter why there is a full-size arcade cabinet in their home.

Christine Billau is an Emmy, Edward R. Murrow and Associated Press award-winning journalist who joined the marketing and communications team in 2015 as media relations specialist. She connects reporters with Univesity of Toledo scholars to offer perspective on current events in their worlds of expertise – anywhere from economics and political science to health care and water quality. Chrissy also treats the University as her news beat. She is constantly on the hunt for stories about groundbreaking research to share with local, regional, national and international media outlets, and to showcase how our students and scientists are discovering solutions to make life better.

As a general assignment reporter at WTVG-Channel 13 in Toledo for seven years, Chrissy was honored for her ongoing investigative coverage of a childhood cancer cluster in the Clyde area, as well as her feature report about the emotional way the community of Port Clinton celebrated Christmas early to grant the final wish of dying boy.

Previously, she was a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor at WTVO-Channel 17 News/WQRF Fox39 in Rockford, Ill.

Before her on-air work, Chrissy was on the assignment desk and traveled with photographers to cover breaking news and scheduled events at WLS-TV in Chicago. She was a member of the team that won a local Emmy Award for breaking news coverage of a December 2005 accident at Midway Airport.

Chrissy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Boston University's College of Communication. During her four years at BU, she was a Washington correspondent for WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, Md., and for New Hampshire Public Television.

Chrissy grew up in Chicago and loves to read, write letters, play in the snow, walk her dog, Martha, cook and travel with her family to northern Michigan and Wisconsin. She lives in Lambertville, Mich., with her husband, son and two stepchildren.

Tyrel Linkhorn is the primary storyteller and media contact for The University of Toledo’s academic health and clinical programs, including the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Nursing, College of Health and Human Services and The University of Toledo Medical Center.

Tyrel helps promote the work of University of Toledo researchers, physicians and nationally known experts who dedicate their lives to helping us be happier, healthier and better understand the world around us.

Prior to joining the University in 2018, he spent more than a decade as a newspaper journalist. He was most recently at The (Toledo) Blade, where he covered the automotive industry and multiple Fortune 500 companies. He also has written about science, government and history. His reporting has been recognized by both the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.

A native Ohioan, he is a graduate of Kent State University. Outside of work, Tyrel enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking and antique automobiles.

Jessica graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. She brings to The University of Toledo more than 20 years of experience in design/art direction, marketing, brand development and public relations.

In those years, she has successfully tackled everything from single-project clients to full multi-media campaigns (including print, TV/video, web/digital design, and email campaigns), total rebrands and trade show designs for small businesses, as well as large B2B and B2C corporations. She is thrilled to put this experience to work to further the mission and strategic objectives of the University.

Jessica is passionate about out-of-the-box (but on-strategy and on-budget) solutions, collaboration, great design and positivity!

Jacqui brings marketing plans to life through strategic, creative solutions. Whether it’s advertising, print collateral, across social media, on the web or broadcast, she’s always seeking creative ways to connect her partner’s goals with their constituents – wherever they consume information.

Putting the user at the center, and designing for their needs is where her thinking begins. Her creative process starts with team collaboration so diverse ideas thrive and the best direction emerges. She approaches each marketing challenge with user insight, slice-of-life experiences and an eclectic music selection.

Jacqui builds upon a warehouse of experience and innovation from her work in higher education, hospice marketing, healthcare, automotive, banking, and building products. Her award-winning work runs the gamut on B2B and B2C campaigns including broadcast, website design, print and educational videos.

Specialties:

• Conceptual and strategic thinker contributing to marketing strategy and messaging,
• Developing creatively strategic concepts in print and digital spaces,
• Overseeing implementation of creative solutions in print and on digital surfaces.

Alyssa Batch plays a key, creative role as a graphic designer on the marketing and communications team. She is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design.

Alyssa thrives on a creative challenge, believing that human-centered design is one of the most powerful tools in successful marketing. She enjoys learning new ways to engage people with design and staying creative in any way she can.

Outside of the office, Alyssa enjoys spending time with friends and family, sports, traveling, drawing, painting, The Phantom of the Opera and her dogs Baer and Zora.

Stephanie Delo is a graphic designer with a goal of developing unique, eye-catching conceptual designs that resonate with target audiences and meet client objectives. She also is experienced in designing complex creatives for brochures, posters, flyers, ads – and just about anything that can hold color, shape and wild imagination.

Stephanie works closely with Vicki Kroll, editor of UToledo News, on layouts for the weekly publication, balancing quick deadlines with creative presentation to produce a vital news publication for internal audiences.

Before joining the in-house design team at the University, she was a merchandise art manager at Paramount Parks and a designer at Cooper-Smith Advertising and Mercy Health Partners. She has been at UToledo since 2008.

Stephanie is a busy mother of three active sons and an avid sports enthusiast, cheering with special gusto for the Detroit Tigers.

Paula Ashley joined The University of Toledo marketing team in 2014 as a part-time marketing strategist for Toledo Law and other University programs. In 2015, she became a full-time UToledo employee, and added marketing support for UTMC clinical lines to her duties. In 2016, Paula became Marketing Manager for enrollment teams across campus, supporting the University’s undergraduate, graduate and international recruiting efforts with strategic marketing services.

A graduate of Bowling Green State University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design, Paula’s career path has included a number of strands, including graphic design, creative direction, writing and marketing strategy. When she’s not on the job, she enjoys a variety of creative endeavors, including painting, cooking, knitting, and journaling — usually with a podcast playing in the background — and is (slowly) working on a degree in religious studies at UToledo.

Marketing strategist Catharine Harned provides lead account representation for UTMC’s service lines, which include behavioral health, primary care, orthopaedics, oncology and heart and vascular. She is a highly skilled professional and creative problem-solver who has developed many successful marketing programs for leading health-care organizations in northwest Ohio.

Catharine earned a bachelor of science degree from Colorado State University and a master of liberal studies degree from The University of Toledo. Her expertise in art has positioned her to acquire and curate corporate art for major health-care providers to use in public and patient settings.

Catharine is married to Jeff Bell and is mother to two adult children. Their family passion is their cabin in the Colorado Rockies.

As content development manager, Jon writes, edits and otherwise influences much of the content produced by the Marketing and Communications team, helping The University of Toledo tell its story to prospective students, their parents and anyone else who may be interested.

Jon brings a diverse content-related background to the role. A former content specialist at a Toledo-area marketing firm, he has also worked previously in higher education, serving as the internet communications manager for Indiana University Press. Jon is also an award-winning radio news journalist, working most notably at 620 WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his home state.

Jon and his wife now live in Perrysburg, Ohio with their son. In his free time, Jon manages and hosts a successful Green Bay Packers website and companion podcast. He also enjoys learning new slow cooker recipes, exploring local restaurants and museums, reading and movies.

Kait Tippey is a marketing development analyst at The University of Toledo where she provides lead account representation for the Division of Advancement, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Research and Sponsored Programs, University College and Student Success. She is a data-driven professional who works to ensure client marketing goals are realized.

She is currently pursuing her M.B.A. and focusing on data analytics. A 2018 graduate of UToledo, Kait earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in individualized studies with a focus in marketing and communications. During her senior year, she interned with the department, honing her skills in marketing communications planning and implementation. After graduation, Kait joined the marketing strategy team as a marketing account coordinator, building relationships with a group of partners and providing project management support.

Outside of the office, Kait enjoys being a mother to her two daughters, Alyric and Piper, wife to her husband, Corey, and spending time with their two dogs. She also loves playing volleyball, coaching softball, reading and cooking.

Marcy Williams provides lead account representation for the University’s colleges of health and human services, medicine and life sciences, nursing, and pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. She is a determined professional with extensive experience in sales, marketing and recruitment. Marcy’s collaborative approach has helped her achieve success with clients in varying industries.

Prior to joining UToledo, Marcy worked at All Saints Catholic School in Rossford, Ohio, where she collaborated with administration, staff and committees to develop and implement internal and external marketing strategies to showcase the school and its students, and to promote retention of current families while growing and diversifying recruitment of new families.

Marcy earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Youngstown State University and attended on a full athletic scholarship. She is married to Bryan Williams and the mother of two children.

Jen Sorgenfrei serves as director of Marketing. She brings to the role more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications strategy in both public and private sector organizations.

Prior to joining The University of Toledo, Jen was media relations manager at ProMedica, where she served as the health system’s crisis communicator in addition to promoting acute care facilities throughout Ohio and Michigan, as well as the oncology, neurology and behavioral health service lines. From 2010-14, Jen was public information officer for the city of Toledo. Additionally, she worked for Funk Luetke Skunda (now FLS Group, a division of Thread), the Lucas County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and the Ohio House of Representatives, where she was responsible for developing communications plans for maintaining a dialogue with the community, assisting clients in achieving their business goals and managing institutional reputation.

Jen is a graduate of The University of Toledo, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration. A native of the Toledo region, she enjoys exploring Toledo’s Metroparks with her dog, Oscar, supporting local businesses and restaurants, and planning her next trip to a sunny vacation retreat.

Daniel Miller is an award-winning photographer with a background in photojournalism, working at daily newspapers, as well as stringing for the Associated Press. He is a native Toledoan, as well as a UToledo alumnus (class of ’99) and feels very fortunate to be able to serve in the profession he loves, creating images for the institution that helped define his career path.

When he’s not talking about himself in the third-person, Dan enjoys competitive sailing, bicycling and volunteering time as a photo advisor for The Independent Collegian, UToledo’s student newspaper. He bakes a mean apple pie, hates the Oxford comma and thinks we should all embrace our inner nerd.

Abby Asma is the digital media specialist for The University of Toledo Medical Center where she manages the website and maintains the UTMC social media channels and digital content.

She graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Screen Arts and Cultures in 2015 and a M.S. in Sport Management in 2018. During her graduate program, she interned with USA Hockey. Prior to joining UToledo, Abby was the manager of digital and creative services for the Central Illinois Flying Aces.

Outside of the office, Abby enjoys spending time with friends, exploring new places and expanding her skills in data analysis and programming languages. She also enjoys reading, hiking and hockey.

Cam Norton, associate director for social media, oversees the University’s social media and video operations.

Cam joined the University in 2007 as an undergraduate student in biology – later finding a passion for online communication and public relations. Joining marketing and communications as the first social media intern in 2010, Cam was hired full-time upon graduation in 2012. He has completed his bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in strategic communication from Bowling Green State University.

Cam enjoys pushing the possibilities of social media by studying and executing in-house video and social content on a daily basis. This content is created through an understanding of audience feedback and analytics.

A lifelong resident of northwest Ohio, Cam enjoys spending time in one of Toledo’s many parks, commercial photography and dogs.

Kevin Taylor is brand and licensing manager, overseeing the licensing program and focusing on maintaining the integrity of trademarked logos while growing the university presence at retail locations throughout the region. Kevin has increased licensing revenue by 67% during his time at UToledo. In FY2019, the licensing program had the largest single year royalties revenue amount generated in school history. In addition, Kevin is the marketing strategist for University Athletics and coordinates advertising elements for the university’s marketing partnerships. He also oversees the mascot program.

Kevin understands the importance of building a strong brand and ensuring that marketing efforts work successfully to strengthen that brand. He remains driven by challenge and the opportunity to continue elevating UToledo’s status on local, regional and national levels.

Prior to working at UToledo, Kevin was marketing coordinator for Rocket Sports Properties of Learfield Sports. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in strategic communication from The Ohio State University and a Master of Education degree in sport administration from Bowling Green State University.

Outside of work, Kevin loves spending time with his wife, Jaime, and their identical twin daughters, Adeline and Cora. He also is an avid sports fan, cheering on his favorite teams from Cleveland and participating in recreational sports activities.

As a web development specialist, Colin writes code to update, upgrade and maintain The University of Toledo website. They bring their expertise in web development and interactive media to the web team, building custom pages, styles, and templates to help the University efficiently execute its marketing strategies.

Colin graduated from The University of Toledo in 2019 with a BA in Communication through Creative Media, an interdisciplinary degree program of their own design. Their love of problem solving and passion for user experience drives both their professional and personal work, bringing websites and video games to life through the magic of programming.

In their free time, Colin enjoys playing video and tabletop games, watching animated shows, nurturing succulents and engaging in creative projects. Their greatest career ambition to develop video games that benefit the world.

As a member of the web development team, Sharon Dietrich supports customers with project management, redesign, updating and site strategy. She also coordinates customer training and support for more than 450 users of OmniUpdate, the University's content management system, and oversees the web development student intern program.

Sharon is a member of the Center for Successful Aging’s advisory board at the University, and in 2011 was nominated for recognition as an Outstanding Staff Member in the University’s annual employee recognition program.

Sharon has been at UToledo since 1997, and earned an Associate in Business Management Technology degree from the University, as well.

Outside work, Sharon loves to spend time with her family. When the time comes to retire, she says she will most definitely be a volunteer cuddler in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Kate McComb lends her skills in marketing, writing and graphic design to the marketing and communications department. As a web content specialist, she develops digital solutions for our academic partners.

Kate developed her wide-ranging skills by studying visual communications and public relations at Bowling Green State University. After an internship at Assistance Dogs for Achieving Independence, she accepted a marketing position at the nonprofit organization, which helps people with disabilities achieve greater independence by training and placing service and therapy dogs. Next, she gained project management and social media experience while working at Card Advertising, a small, full-service agency in Temperance, Mich.

With a focus on the ever-changing technology of communication, Kate joined The University of Toledo community as a digital media specialist in March 2013, then transitioned to the marketing and communications team in 2016. Inspired by compelling storytelling and innovative ways to connect, Kate looks forward to expanding her skill set in digital communications.

Kate lives in South Toledo with her dog, Carter. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping small businesses and fashion.

Cherie Spino is a highly skilled communicator and writer for online as well as print media. After receiving her BS in journalism from Northwestern University, she began her career with Whittle Communications in Knoxville, Tenn., working for publications from a college student travel magazine to a magazine for travel agents. She has freelanced for a variety of publications and worked as a staff writer for the Catholic Chronicle, the now-defunct newspaper of the Toledo Diocese.

Cherie is passionate about the written word. She believes everyone and everything has a story. It’s her mission to uncover that story and share it. She is curious, eager to learn and loves to collaborate with creative people. As UToledo’s digital content manager, she strives to get the University’s story in front of as many prospective students, parents and alumni as possible – optimizing digital content and staying on top of current digital trends while developing a user-focused content strategy.

Cherie’s husband, Mike, also is a journalist. They have four children and a rescue puppy, Bella. She enjoys playing volleyball; camping, hiking and exploring national parks; traveling and reading (her book club has been going strong for more than a decade). Another fun fact: She can see University Hall from her bedroom window.

Kathleen Walsh leads The University of Toledo’s web team, managing the strategy, development and support of utoledo.edu and uthealth.utoledo.edu, while developing innovative digital solutions.

More than 30 years ago, Kathleen merged marketing and digital technology into a career path that started with an internship at USA Today in the new field of digital photography to integrating technology into marketing solutions to leading web strategy. A passionate learner, Kathleen has always been interested in new and innovative ways to market and brand using technology.

Kathleen began her career at the University in 2006. Before that, she worked at WGTE Public Media, Aeroquip-Vickers, Inc., Eaton and the former Medical College of Ohio. She also volunteers for many non-profit organizations, including Camp Kesem, Little Pink Houses of Hope, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, The Victory Center and Habitat for Humanity of Wood County.

At UToledo, Kathleen serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Plan Leadership team and the ADA Compliance Committee.

Kathleen has received many professional awards, but is particularly proud to have been selected by her peers for the Outstanding University Women Award from the University Women’s Commission in 2013.

Kathleen earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Lourdes University and a Patient Advocacy Graduate Certificate from The University of Toledo. Outside work, Kathleen enjoys the activities of her three children and husband, traveling, painting and running.