HARRISONBURG, VA (James Madison University) — After a national search, James Madison University has selected Christine Hutchins as its inaugural vice president for marketing and strategic communications, effective April 13.

“I am thrilled to welcome Christine as the newest member of our senior leadership team, where she will lead the development and execution of an integrated strategy that elevates the university’s brand and reputation across all platforms and audiences,” said JMU President Jim Schmidt in a release. “As a visionary leader, Christine will shape and implement our communications and marketing efforts that reflects the university’s bold strategic vision, amplifies our impact, and helps JMU chart a new path for higher education.”

Hutchins brings more than 19 years of executive leadership in higher education communications, marketing, brand strategy, enrollment marketing, and advancement communications. Hutchins recently served as the chief marketing and communications officer at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she led a comprehensive brand and enrollment marketing strategy that contributed to 35 percent year-over-year undergraduate application growth. Before Saint Mary’s, she served as the senior associate vice president for strategic communication and marketing at San José State University, where she built a centralized communications and marketing team from the ground up – uniting more than 50 decentralized communicators across campus.

“JMU is at a genuinely rare moment – a visionary new president, extraordinary institutional momentum, and a community ready to amplify its story on the national stage. I am honored to be part of building that next chapter and committed to doing it in a way that reflects what makes JMU truly distinctive: a deep culture of belonging, rising national recognition in academic and athletics, and a commitment to civic engagement that is genuinely changing how universities serve their communities,” said Hutchins.

“As we look ahead to the implementation of the new strategic plan, I am confident Christine will lead with an innovative marketing and communications strategy that boldly elevates JMU’s national distinction,” said Schmidt.

Hutchins holds a Bachelor of Science degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and a Master’s in Business Administration from MIT Sloan School of Management.