Interim marketing, communications leaders announced

Central Michigan University President Neil MacKinnon has identified an interim leadership team to support University Communications following the resignation of John Veilleux, the current vice president and chief marketing officer. Abby Dean, deputy chief marketing officer, and Ari Harris, executive director of strategic communications, will serve as co-leads for the unit beginning in early January 2025.

Dean, a CMU graduate, joined the UCOM team in February 2019 as the director of integrated marketing. In her current capacity as deputy chief marketing officer, Dean oversees the 16-member Integrated Marketing and Digital Strategy team. Her team is responsible for stewardship of the CMU “We do” brand across all communication channels, including the cmich.edu website; developing comprehensive multi-channel marketing campaigns; managing media purchases; collaborating with campus partners to increase student enrollment; and more. 

Harris joined CMU in December 2017 as an assistant director of communications. She now serves as the head of the strategic communications team, which leads public relations efforts including proactive and reactive media relations, internal and external news and storytelling, executive communications, crisis and issue management, campus partner training and more.Both Dean and Harris had prior higher education communications and marketing experience, and both have served on the University Communications leadership team for several years.

“Abby and Ari’s knowledge, skills and backgrounds complement each other well, and they have demonstrated a passionate commitment to supporting the University Communications team,” MacKinnon said. “They have strong relationships with leaders across campus, and I am confident they will keep the team’s good work going as we seek the department’s next leader.”

MacKinnon said the university would begin a national search for the next vice president and chief marketing officer early in the new year.