Chris Banyas
Life Editor
Travelling thousands of miles across the country and leaving behind friends and family is something that you would expect from someone with a burning passion.
Adrienne King took over the position of director of Marketing and Communications at Idaho State University on February 18. She had to travel from West Virginia to do so.
“From the very first phone interview at Idaho State University, I just felt a connection with the people here,” said King. “I felt so comfortable and I thought that everyone here was so nice and so genuine and it just felt like home and coming out here, every day I’m thankful that I’m here.”
King took over the position from Andrew Taylor, who served as interim director since Mark Levine retired in June.
King served in the same position at West Virginia University Institute of Technology before accepting the position at ISU.
Marketing and Communications encompasses a variety of interactions both within the university and outside the school.
“We provide communications support for recruitment, for advancement, fundraising, internal communications, external communications, marketing, public relations, the website, photography, videography so, the creative communications coming out of the university,” said King.
A team of about eleven people alongside King is responsible for meeting all of these needs.
King is responsible for developing a strategic communications plan for the university which will work with various colleges and groups on campus to help them get their messages out.
“The other big initiative we’re going to be working on is implementing a content management system for the university website,” said King. “The content management system is going to empower folks across campus to be able to update their own content rather than relying on two web developers to go in and code it for them.”
Growing up in West Virginia, King’s mother worked as a college professor. She was raised in the environment which would later become her career.
Earning bachelor’s degrees in graphic design and advertising/public relations, and recently a doctorate in educational administration, King is a firm believer in higher education.
“My mother used to tell me that education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you, and I believe that very strongly,” said King. “Marketing in a lot of ways is sales, and so I feel very confident saying to a student, ‘If you get an education, you will be better for this’,” said King.
While most children in first grade want to be astronauts or adventurers when they grow up, King recalls her answer to the question.
“My parents told me that what I wrote was I want to be a college president,” said King.
King’s passion does not stop at higher education.
“I’m very passionate about animals and I have done a lot of volunteer work,” said King. “As a result of fostering animals, I now own four cats and a dog. I am a failed foster.”
