ODU names new chief marketing officer and VP

Old Dominion University has named Jaime L. Hunt to serve as in the newly created roles of vice president of university communications and chief marketing officer.

The university announced the hire Wednesday. Hunt has worked since September 2020 as vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Miami University in Ohio, where she oversaw the development and launch of a new brand platform and provided strategy to a campaign that helped attract the largest first-year class in the school’s history, ODU said in a news release.

Hunt will start at ODU during the fall semester and will oversee its newly established communications team and work toward broader external engagement.

“Old Dominion University is an institution that has a rich history of remarkable accomplishments and innovative efforts,” ODU President Brian O. Hemphill said in a statement. “In order to further solidify our reputation and standing in local communities and across the commonwealth of Virginia, as well as nationally and internationally, we need an energetic and proven leader with Jaime’s level of expertise and passion. I am confident that she will deliver an immediate impact to our critical and ongoing work.”

Hunt has more than 25 years of experience and previously worked at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina for five years, in roles including vice chancellor of strategic communications and chief marketing and communications officer.

The move to ODU also marks a return to Virginia for Hunt, who directed web strategy and interactive media at Radford University from 2010 to 2015, according to her LinkedIn account.

“At each university for which I have worked, I have been able to have a transformative impact,” Hunt said. “During my higher education career, I have been part of four university rebrandings, five website overhauls and three magazine redesigns; rolled out mobile applications, wayfinding kiosks, podcasts and virtual tours; and implemented integrated marketing communications models at three institutions.”

Hunt is the second hire announced by ODU this week. On Tuesday, the university announced Dr. Alicia Monroe will join the university as chief integration officer and senior advisor to Hemphill to establish an academic health sciences center in partnership with Eastern Virginia Medical School and Sentara Healthcare.