Deborah L. Hayes has been named vice president for communications and marketing at the University of Delaware.
Hayes replaces David L. Brond, who left UD in July to become senior vice president of communications and marketing for the Georgia Health Sciences enterprise. John Brennan who has managed the unit during the search will return to his duties as director of public and media relations.
Most recently, Hayes served as managing director of communications for the Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia from 2002-11. Her management responsibilities there included internal, crisis, executive grantee and partner communications, institutional messaging, strategy planning, branding, local and national media outreach, publications and online communications strategy.
From 1999-2002, she served as founding partner and president of media strategies at Westhill Partners in New York, where she focused on the areas of communications, crisis management and public affairs.
Hayes was director of media and corporate relations for Oprah Winfrey/Harpo Productions in Chicago from 1994-99.
Previously, as senior vice president for corporate communications at MTV Networks in New York City, she served as chief corporate spokesperson and senior media strategist responsible for developing the company’s internal and external communications.
From 1985-92, Hayes was press secretary for Congr. Richard Gephardt. She also worked on presidential campaigns for Gephardt, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and John Glenn.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Tennessee State University. Nashville.
