I am thrilled to share that Colorado College has hired Johanna Blickenstaff as our new Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing, effective Monday, Oct. 21.

Johanna comes to CC from the University of Denver, where she has held progressive leadership positions since 2021. Most recently, she was Associate Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Strategic Positioning, overseeing reputation and revenue-generation efforts and leading large-scale communications and marketing initiatives, including the most recent refresh of the DU brand and messaging platform.

Before DU, Johanna spent 13 years in brand, digital, and comprehensive marketing roles at her alma mater, the University of Idaho. She led the creation and release of multiple university-wide brand campaigns, developed audience segmentation strategies and standards, and worked extensively in enrollment marketing to drive engagement with prospective students and families.

“I am joining this community at an incredibly exciting time as we celebrate Colorado College’s 150th anniversary and envision new ways to support and prepare the leaders of tomorrow,” Johanna says. “I believe the liberal arts bring unique value and are best experienced in immersive, hands-on environments — and that is what CC, and the Block Plan, deliver. I am eager to share the opportunities created here with new and existing audiences as we work together to share the powerful stories that set this college apart.”

At CC, Johanna will lead the Office of Communications and Marketing in developing a research-based and multichannel messaging, marketing, and brand management plan. She will oversee the college’s brand refinement work with the marketing agency Truth & Consequences, collaborate with Advancement and Enrollment on targeted engagement efforts, and guide a cohesive, integrated vision for messaging and storytelling that enhances and elevates the CC brand.

I know the college will benefit from her strategic expertise, depth of experience in higher education, and collaborative leadership style.

I want to thank the members of our search committee, who were dedicated to this process for many months, and all those who took time to meet with Johanna during her visit to campus. Thanks to the search firm WittKieffer for helping us identify the leadership qualities and skillset we were seeking in this role, and for bringing forward a strong candidate pool — of which Johanna rose to the top.

Please help me welcome Johanna to the college when she arrives on campus next week! I know she looks forward to meeting with many of you as we move forward on our exciting marketing and storytelling initiatives.

Sincerely,

Interim President