November 29, 2022
UW names Jack Martin VP for Marketing and Communications
Jack Martin has been named Vice President for Marketing and Communications at the University of Washington, Senior Vice President for University Advancement Mary Gresch announced Tuesday. Martin’s appointment begins Dec. 1.
Martin will lead the University Marketing and Communications team (UMAC) to advance University-wide brand cohesion and comprehensive integrated marketing and communications strategies. The role also provides guidance and oversight on brand strategy, marketing, communications, reputation development and associated strategies in support of the UW’s vision, mission and values. Martin succeeds Gresch, who served in the role since 2013 before being named Senior Vice President for Advancement in Sept. 2021.
Jack Martin
“Jack is a principled, equity-minded leader who was the clear choice to take the University’s marketing and communications work to the next level,” Gresch said. “He is a public servant to the core, and this role will enhance his already significant contributions to the UW’s mission and expressed values of impact, access and excellence, while advancing key initiatives that grow public appreciation, relationships and resources for the University.”
Martin’s new role comes after more than seven years of leading strategic communications at the UW, beginning in 2015 as a Senior Director and most recently serving as Associate Vice President for Communications. During that time, he has led many key initiatives, including the “Yes, It’s Possible” campaign, a joint effort with Washington State University to raise awareness of financial aid opportunities for Washington students to attend state public institutions, as well as the launch of UW Current, a monthly newsletter that brings stories of UW’s impact and vision to more than 400,000 alumni, donors and friends. Martin also collaborated with internal and external partners on communications and storytelling for the UW’s Be Boundless campaign and the UW Population Health Initiative, and leads the UW’s coronavirus-related communications, among other efforts.
“It’s an honor to be entrusted with this responsibility. We talk about how the UW is the University for Washington, and a marketing and communications enterprise that represents and is representative of the students and communities we serve is key to the UW’s public mission,” Martin said. “I’ve been in public service almost my entire career and will continue to bring that mindset – of seeking to represent the views and values of both the University and our stakeholders – to this new role.”
As Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Martin’s priorities include implementing the next phase of the University’s brand renewal, preparing for the next fundraising campaign and supporting the UW’s plans for the development of Portage Bay Crossing in the west campus area. Continuing to advance student recruitment and success, the University’s local, state and federal agendas, and the goals of leaders and partners across the UW’s campuses and at UW Medicine will also be priorities.
Prior to joining the UW in 2015, Martin held strategic communications roles at the University of Kansas, in the Kansas governor’s office, for a member of Congress and with legislative caucuses in two states. And he continues to serve as a national leader among higher education communicators in groups such as the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Martin holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kansas.
For more information, contact Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu.
