President Neil Theobald has announced that Karen Clarke will become Temple's first vice president for Strategic Marketing and Communications effective May 1.  Clarke is currently associate vice president for Marketing and Communication at the University of Houston and associate vice chancellor for Marketing and Communication for the University of Houston System.

"Karen Clarke has the background and experience necessary to help Temple University effectively communicate with all of our varied audiences. I am delighted that she has agreed to join our leadership team in this very important role," said Theobald in making the announcement.

Theobald pointed out that the new division's strength will come, in part, by combining marketing and communications efforts currently split at the university. Clarke's staff will include portions of the Marketing Communications and Creative Services teams in Institutional Advancement with the University Communications operation currently reporting to the Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs.

"Bringing these teams together will create greater consistency and strength in the ways we tell the Temple story," said Theobald.

As vice president for strategic marketing and communications, Clarke will be responsible for setting the overall strategic and creative direction of the university’s branding, marketing, and communications efforts. Her division will create strategies that enhance the university’s competitiveness by strengthening its brand, reputation, and visibility while overseeing the development of marketing and communications campaigns that advance the university’s goals and objectives.

“Temple has a wonderful story to tell,” Clarke said. “I will bring a collaborative approach to advancing the reputation of this great university and position it to achieve the recognition it so richly deserves. I am honored to become a part of the Temple community, and I look forward to working closely with President Theobald and his team.” 

At the University of Houston, Clarke has been responsible for marketing and brand management, university communication, media relations, development communications, web, multimedia and creative services for the third-largest public university in Texas. Under her guidance, the university brand has flourished and its image and reputation have advanced nationally and within Texas.  As a chief strategist for the university’s branding and marketing campaigns, Clarke played a principal role in UH achieving the highest possible recognition from the Carnegie Foundation in 2011, as well as recognition as an emerging research university in Texas that resulted in millions in additional funding to support research and student success. 

She has served as associate vice president for marketing and communications at the University of Houston and associate vice chancellor for the University of Houston System’s four independent universities and six regional teaching centers since 2007. She brings more than 25 years of highly successful experience in marketing, branding and strategic communications to her new role at Temple.

Under Clarke's leadership, the University of Houston’s marketing and communication efforts have been recognized with more than 100 awards for excellence from professional associations like the American Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America and International Association of Business Communicators.

Clarke previously served in a marketing and communication role at the University of South Florida and the University of Miami. She also has served as director of corporate communications at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation and was a senior account director for Hill & Knowlton. She started her career as a reporter and editor for several Gannett newspapers in Florida.  Clarke earned a B.S. in journalism and Latin American Studies from the University of Florida and is pursuing a master’s degree in higher education administration.