Hilary Crnkovich, currently an executive for the global public relations and public affairs firm Burson-Marsteller in Chicago, was elected vice president for public affairs and communication at Notre Dame on Friday.
Beginning March 2, Crnkovich will oversee Notre Dame Maga-zine and many University offices, including marketing, media relations, community relations, web and print design photography, video and internal communications.
She said she will be responsible for "overall management of the way the world sees the University of Notre Dame" and will be working with a team of more than 50 people.
"I think this is an exciting time at Notre Dame," she said. "I'm looking forward to working with everyone."
Crnkovich has worked in the field of marketing and communications for 20 years.
Prior to her position at Burson-Marsteller, she was a senior account executive for Earle Palmer Brown, a full-service marketing communications company, and a partner in Chicago-based Design-kitchen, an award winning print and Web site firm. She has served not-for-profit, corporate and quasi-governmental clients.
Crnkovich said her job at Notre Dame will be the culmination of all of her work in the fields of marketing and communications.
"It's an opportunity to merge all my different types of experiences . . . into one position," Crnkovich said.
"I've worked in on-line marketing for a very long time."
University President-elect Father John Jenkins said in a statement that Crnkovich was an outstanding choice.
"Notre Dame is fortunate to attract individuals at the top of their professional careers and certainly that is the case with Hilary," Jenkins said. "Her credentials are impeccable and they match our needs in the very challenging media and marketing climate of the Internet era."
Crnkovich is Catholic and her husband Chris graduated from Notre Dame in 1978. She said Notre Dame is an exemplary University and called the position "a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"I really believe in the University, in the mission of furthering the ideas of the University, the importance of Catholic higher education and very much believe in the future of the University," Crnkovich said.
Jenkins expressed confidence in the new vice president.
"She [Crnkovich] has a deep understanding of our academic mission, our commitment to maintaining the Catholic character of the University, and the wide-ranging constituencies that constitute the Notre Dame family," he said.
Crnkovich earned her bachelor's degree in political science from Michigan in 1983 and studied graphic design and fine arts at the Parsons School of Design in New York.
"My hope is to communicate the full essence of Notre Dame to the world," Crnkovich said. "I'm excited to work with Father Malloy and what else is ahead."
