Melanie McDonald, director of media relations at Saint Mary's, will leave her current post today to become director of external relations at the Notre Dame Law School. She will assume her new position Monday.
McDonald, who has been at Saint Mary's for eight years, said she is taking what she learned at Saint Mary's into her new position, which she describes as "a positive next step professionally."
"I have learned more than I have given at my time at Saint Mary's," she said. "The student body is growing, the faculty is fantastic and [College President Carol Ann Mooney] and her cabinet are the strongest I've ever seen it. It's the sum of all the parts that is going to bring Saint Mary's to great heights."
At Saint Mary's, McDonald was charged with public and external relations.
"I believe in transparency," she said. "People want and need to know what's going on. My job is to communicate to them what's great."
At the Law School, McDonald's duties will be threefold. She is responsible for alumni relations, media relations and publicity and publications.
While her responsibilities have grown from her job at Saint Mary's, McDonald is ready to take on the challenge, she said.
"With any new job, there is learning and skills I'll need to sharpen, but my time at Saint Mary's lets me go into this well-prepared," she said.
McDonald is using the new position as "the next step" in her professional career.
"I never planned to leave Saint Mary's, but when this opportunity presented itself, it was something that I needed to do ... ," she said. "And I am happy that I did."
McDonald hopes for continued success at the Law School.
"This is a great thing because it's a new canvas," she said. "It's a fresh start for them and me. I am just going to try and make it my own."
Karen McDonald, acting associate vice president for communications at Saint Mary's, will serve as interim director of media relations until the position is filled.
