Sharon Martin, who currently serves as the vice president of University Engagement and chief marketing officer at the University, will depart Sept. 20 after being named the vice president of marketing and communications at Clemson University Aug. 27.
“During her tenure, Sharon has elevated the brand of West Virginia University,” President Gordon Gee said. “From the Mountaineers Go First campaign to recruitment experiences to alumni engagement, she has worked collaboratively across the University to positively influence the brand positioning for our University. I have deeply appreciated and will miss her strategic thinking, her creativity and her friendship. We wish her all the best in her new role.”
Martin joined WVU in October 2013 as the vice president of University Relations leading the areas of communications, marketing, creative services, digital services, trademark and licensing, and the Visitors Center. During her nearly 11 years at the University, her responsibilities have also included enrollment management, alumni engagement and the creation of the WVU Purpose Center.
In 2015, Martin led the launch of the award-winning brand campaign, “Mountaineers Go First,” and the implementation of a variety of internal communications including Campus Conversations, Inside WVUToday video series, UNews and Academic Media Days. She led the development of the WVU Research magazine, elevated the student recruitment brand experience and partnered with the Alumni Association to rebrand the organization and drive engagement.
The team’s creative work has garnered numerous awards including an Emmy award for the documentary film, “Breathe, Nolan, Breathe.” This year’s “Let’s Go” summer campaign has seen the distribution of nearly 1,000 Let’s Go flags and statewide media engagement.
In addition, Martin served as the co-chair of Welcome Week since 2015, chaired the steering committee for the University’s sesquicentennial and co-chaired the WVU Campus Safety Committee. She is a member of the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors and served on the WVU Reed College of Media Visiting Committee for six years. She also is an executive board member of the Council for Strategic Communications of the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities.
Gee and his leadership team are reviewing the needs of the University, as well as resources required to best serve the campus community, and will share transition plans in the coming days.