Kennedy Kipps, Director of Communications of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, U.Va.

As Special Assistant to the Dean of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia, Kennedy Kipps handles public communications, issue tracking, background research, and a range of other duties for the Dean's Office.

Previously, as the school's director of communications for nearly a decade, he led a team of communications professionals who managed print and online periodicals, administrative and marketing Web sites, development publications, a weekly radio show, and arts box office operations. From 2004-2006, he also directed a university-wide planning effort to identify and deploy the optimal array of online products and services to engage alumni in the life of the institution.

Prior to joining Arts & Sciences in 1999, Ken was editorial director for U.Va.’s Darden School of Business, where he was responsible for a range of institutional communications for admissions, career services, development, and the dean. Earlier, he served as the communications manager for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and worked in marketing for Busch Entertainment Corporation.

Ken speaks to professional associations about the use of online communications tools for fundraising and alumni relations, the benefits of direct mail segmentation for annual giving, and the role of alumni magazines in the advancement effort. His work has received regional and national awards from the Public Relations Society of America, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the University and College Design Association, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts.