News Releases

April 24, 2013
For Immediate Release
For additional information: 
Jennifer Kirby
Communications and Marketing
Telephone:  360-992-2219
Email:  jkirby@clark.edu

Clark College hires new Chief Communications Officer

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Clark College has hired Chato Hazelbaker as chief communications officer.

Hazelbaker, currently the Director of Communications at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, MN, will assume the post on June 17.

Hazelbaker brings to Clark more than 15 years of communications experience, mostly in higher education institutions.

“Clark College is very fortunate to hire a person of such character and caliber as Chato Hazelbaker as our new Chief Communications Officer,” said Clark College President Robert K. Knight.  “He will be a great addition to the college and the executive leadership team.”

Hazelbaker earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Rocky Mountain College in 1996 and a master’s degree in leadership from Crown College in 2004. 

Hazelbaker has worked as the Marketing and Media Relations Director at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, MN, and as Director of Marketing at Montana State University-Billings.

Earlier in his career, he worked in several roles for Eddie Bauer Inc. including Communication Manager-Stores at the corporate headquarters in Redmond, WA.

In addition to his current role at University of St. Thomas School of Law, Hazelbaker serves as an adjunct faculty member at Bethel University, where he has taught Organizational Leadership, and Leadership and Technology.

Hazelbaker is currently pursuing his doctorate in Organization Development at the University of St. Thomas.

Hazelbaker’s responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic communications counsel to the college administration;
• Promoting the college’s activities, programs, people and events in local, state and national media;
• Serving as public information officer and legislative liaison for the college;

• Developing and implementing a communications plan consistent with the college’s goals;
• Directing the Communications and Marketing department, which provides college-wide advertising and marketing initiatives; editorial; web; social media; graphic design; photography; video; branding; and electronic and print publications including Clark Today, Clark 24/7, and various e-news communications.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 16,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington state’s largest for-credit, single-campus community college. The college currently offers for-credit classes at two satellite locations, one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Corporate & Continuing Education program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

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