College President Sheila Bair today announced that Rolando Irizarry, a marketing and communications professional, will join the Washington College senior leadership as Vice President for College Relations and Marketing, effective December 5, 2016. Irizarry, whose award-winning branding campaigns have positioned both MedStar Georgetown and the George Washington University Hospital as healthcare leaders in the region, brings a wealth of experience in brand management, strategic planning, business analytics, integrated marketing, and digital advertising.

“Our college relations and marketing team is integral to the success of the College’s strategic initiatives, and I am so proud of the work they have been doing to share the Washington College story in support of student recruitment, alumni engagement, fundraising, and elevating national visibility,” President Bair remarked. “Rolando is inheriting a strong and creative team, and I’m looking forward to seeing the fruits of their collaboration, particularly as the College undertakes a comprehensive fundraising campaign.”

“The campaign will help provide the energy and awareness needed to advance our message on scholarships, campus diversity, and the quality of our faculty,” Irizarry says. “I’m fortunate to be part of a talented CRM team that is passionate about the Washington College legacy. We have the opportunity to elevate the College’s presence on the national stage. Everyone on campus and in the community has a vision of what the College could become. My job is to provide structure and a unified voice to what Washington College means to all of us.”

Irizarry’s career spans 20 years in higher education, healthcare, and agency work. As senior public affairs officer for Florida International University, Irizarry worked with one of the largest, most diverse media markets in the country and organized the largest press event in campus history—a visit from the Dalai Lama that involved more than 200 journalists. He was also responsible for crisis communications and collaborated with the university president on legislative matters.

At Miami Children’s Hospital, Irizarry managed marketing communications and business development, while also serving as managing editor for the hospital’s medical journal International Pediatrics.

He has worked with leaders at the George Washington University School of Medicine and George Washington University Hospital on a number of successful campaigns that significantly increased market share, grew revenue, and promoted patient education. Those campaigns garnered more than four dozen awards.

Most recently, Irizarry served as regional marketing director in the Washington region for MedStar Health, Inc., and was on the faculty at the George Washington University School of Business. He is moving to Chestertown with his fiancée, Julia Belanger, a general practitioner with the University of Maryland Community Medical Group in Chestertown.