CONWAY, Ark. (April
4, 2017) – Hendrix College alumnus and staff member Rob O’Connor will serve as
Vice President for Marketing Communications following the retirement of current
Vice President Helen S. Plotkin in May.
“Following a
longtime leader like Helen Plotkin is a tall order,” said Hendrix President
Bill Tsutsui. “Fortunately, Rob has worked closely with Helen during his career
at Hendrix and knows how this office supports our strategic plan and our
capital campaign. He cares deeply about Hendrix and is committed to its
long-term success. He will be a great colleague to our senior leadership team,
Board of Trustees members, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
A 1995 Hendrix
graduate, O’Connor became Associate Vice President for Marketing Communications
in 2015 after joining the Office of Marketing Communications in 2010 as
Director of College Communications. He serves as editor of the award-winning Hendrix Magazine and manages the
College's marketing communications and media relations activities. He is a
Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Gold Award and
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Arkansas Bronze
Quill Award winner.
Prior to joining
the Marketing Communications team, O’Connor was Director of Foundation
Relations in the Office of Development at Hendrix. During the College’s
previous $100 million capital campaign, he successfully developed funding
proposals to philanthropic foundations and major donors to support the Hendrix
Odyssey Program, endowed scholarships, and new facilities, including the
Student Life and Technology Center and Wellness and Athletics Center.
A former print
journalist, O’Connor was recognized by the Arkansas Press Association and
Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and was named the 2006 U.S. Small
Business Association Arkansas Small Business Journalist of the Year. He has a
master's degree in professional and technical writing from the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock. He is a 2013 Faulkner County Leadership Institute
graduate and a board member of the Conway Symphony Orchestra and Conway Public
Schools Foundation.
“I am honored to
follow Helen and excited to work with such an inspiring group of colleagues, faculty,
staff, students, alumni, and friends who have made Hendrix one of the country’s
leading liberal arts colleges,” O’Connor said.
About Hendrix College
Hendrix College
is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges That
Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community,
innovation, and value. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.