September 12, 2011
To: UMD Campus Community
From: Chancellor Lendley C. Black
Subject: Director of External Affairs
I am pleased to announce that Sue Banovetz has been named the Director of External Affairs, effective September 26, 2011. Sue currently operates Banovetz Public Relations and, since 1997, has been the mayor of the City of Vadnais Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. Her previous experience includes serving as the Director of Media and Public Relations for the College of Liberal Arts on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Other positions she has held include Vice President of Government Relations for R3 Verdant Technologies in Minneapolis; Director of Alumni Relations at William Mitchell College of Law; Director of Public Relations and Marketing for the Saint Paul Area Red Cross; Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Century College in White Bear Lake; Communications Manager for the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board; and member/chair of the Duluth School Board.
A St. Paul native, she lived in Duluth for 11 years and has family ties to Silver Bay and the Iron Range. She attended UMD for two years and graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus with a bachelor's degree in political science, journalism and speech communication.
As Director of External Affairs, Sue will provide leadership and administrative oversight to a newly created unit consisting of media and public relations, community relations, government relations, marking and communication, publications and photography. This cabinet-level administrative position will be responsible for providing leadership, counsel and strategic direction to me as well as to the campus community.
I would like to thank the members of the Search Committee (Tricia Bunten, Development Office; Mary Cameron, Human Resources; Mark Emmel, Lion Hotel Group; Betty Greene, Finance and Operations; Lucy Kragness, Chancellor's Office, Chair; Jim Riehl, Swenson College of Science and Engineering; Mimmu Salmela, KUMD; and Dan Tomhave, Admissions) for sharing their time and their expertise working on this important search. Sue received strong support from the committee members, as well as from the broader UMD community. Please join me in welcoming Sue to campus.
