Creating One Vision. One Spirit. One West.

600 South Tyler Street,Amarillo TX 79101

22 June, 2022

Description

Kelly will describe how WT’s Communication and Marketing team created the strategy, brand and engagement opportunities to launch the historic One West campaign, a comprehensive fundraising effort designed to fuel the WT 125 strategic plan. ABOUT THE SPEAKER A communications expert with significant higher education experience, Kelly Polden leads West Texas A&M University’s Office of Communication and Marketing as the University’s assistant vice president for communication and marketing. At the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Polden helped develop and promote the statewide 60x30TX higher education strategic plan and worked with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Tri-Agency Initiative to promote a seamless pipeline from K-12 education to higher education to the workforce. She served as vice president of external relations for Caremark Rx Inc., as communications director and manager of global events for the internationally based Sulzer Orthopedics and as marketing communications director for Spinal Concepts, in addition to running her own independent communications company. Polden earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism/mass communications from Iowa State University and a master of arts degree in political science/communications, with an emphasis in healthcare policy, from Texas State University. As president and treasurer of Carper Family Farms in her home state of Iowa, Polden has a lifelong commitment to agriculture and the rural lifestyle. She has authored two books and published several short stories, and, with her husband Howard, is an equestrian and endurance athlete.