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School News
Austin College names new CMO, Heidi Rushing, Dr. Lynn Womble retires year end
By Austin College
Nov 14, 2022
Sherman, Texas -- Austin College President Steven O’Day has announced that Heidi Rushing will be the College’s new Chief Marketing and Communication Officer (CMO) effective January 1, 2023. The current CMO, Dr. Lynn Z. Womble, will retire at the end of the calendar year.
Heidi Rushing currently serves as an Associate Director in the Institutional Marketing and Communications Division, managing brand awareness campaigns, public affairs, and the professional marketing internship program for current students.
Heidi graduated from Austin College in 2004, and has worked at Austin College in a number of roles since 2006. She completed an M.A. in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Texas Tech University in May of this year and is currently an instructor in their College of Media and Communication graduate program. She also brings in leadership experience from the non-profit/volunteer sector as a co-founder and former Director of arts non-profit Ghost Town Arts Collective and most recently as President of the Sherman Cultural District Advisory Board.
“Heidi’s educational background, experience, and deep knowledge of Austin College combine to make her a natural choice to fill the role of CMO” said President O’Day. “I am looking forward to the energy and creativity I know Heidi will bring to the role, and am pleased that we will have no gap in leadership over this important area of the College.” The CMO leads the Institutional Marketing and Communications division, which includes media relations, brand management, print and digital publications, social media, video productions, and more.
Rushing says she is looking forward to “continuing to tell the story of Austin College - our students, faculty, and alumni - and the ways they have made a difference in the world. It is with a sense of pride and purpose that I step into this role. I work with an incredible staff of writers and designers, and it is our great fortune to communicate on behalf of the College. We have no shortage of material, because every year we produce a new batch of alumni who go out in the world and do really cool stuff. Their accomplishments are a testament to the power of education to help people achieve their dreams, and it is those stories that we get to share with the world.”
“From the moment I arrived here as a student, Sherman and Austin College have felt like home to me. I care deeply about this community and it is an honor to serve the College in this new role.”
Rushing replaces Lynn Womble who has been with Austin College for 12 years, first as Director of Public Affairs and became the very first Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Austin College. During her tenure, Womble launched the first brand advertising campaign in the College’s history, brought TEDxAustinCollege to the Texoma community, and created a professional marketing internship for students giving them valuable business experience in media relations, project management, and video production. Prior to Austin College, she held record-breaking sales at the American Management Association, and prior to that managed education technology programs at EDS, GTE, and MLink Technologies.
Womble began her career as a secondary Math teacher in 1981 and reflected, “Perhaps it was growing up in a family with 3 younger brothers that inspired me to teach 8th grade boys who said they simply could not ‘do math’, were not interested or engaged, and just needed a bit of attention to unlock their understanding. It was the early 80's when personal computers had just hit the classroom. Other teachers were too intimidated or puzzled to embrace the wave of technology as an opportunity. I not only learned everything I could about computers, but also discovered that my students were fascinated by them,” Womble remembers.
What happened next was pivotal. According to Womble, “School administration was curious about how computers could aid their efforts and before long I found myself developing workshops for teachers, administrators, and business professionals.” Ultimately, she left teaching to further career aspirations and join the business world. Twenty-one years later, she returned to education right here in Sherman, Texas.
“After twelve years at Austin College and two decades in the private sector, I look forward to spending more time with my precious family and growing flock of grandchildren” said Womble. “My time at Austin College has been rewarding beyond all expectations and I could not ask for a better community in which to finish my career journey.”
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, global awareness, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,250 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.