President Wippman’s Writings & Remarks

Senior Staff Update

December 13, 2023

Tags Public Statements

Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

I am writing to announce that Vice President for Communications and Marketing Melissa Richards will be leaving Hamilton next month to become vice president and chief of staff at Emerson College in Boston.

Since joining Hamilton in 2019 as the College’s inaugural vice president for communications and marketing, Melissa’s leadership has helped the College move forward in many ways. Working with her colleagues in the Communications Office and partners across campus, Melissa led the College’s efforts to manage communications during the pandemic, launch a completely redesigned College website, set new benchmarks for digital communications, develop effective video storytelling capabilities, and conduct research to establish the messaging platform Know Thyself.

She also worked closely with colleagues in the Admission Office to help recruit each year’s entering class and with the Advancement Office to achieve the record goal for the Because Hamilton campaign. The 2021 Hamilton Magazine special issue, “We Are Hamilton,” won several awards for its focus on racial injustice and inequality.

While at Hamilton, Melissa also served as president of the Central New York Chapter of the Public Relations Association of America, represented the College at national conferences and events, and served on multiple higher education association committees.

Please join me in congratulating her and wishing her well in her new position.

David