Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis, M.S.
Director of Stewardship and Communication at South Dakota Mines Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement- Claim this Profile
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Bio
LinkedIn User
Kathleen was a pleasure to work with. She brought a positive energy to the Vidette as one of its leaders during my time working at the newspaper. She was kind, reliable, and as a writer and editor, she had great attention to detail.
Priscilla Romkema, PhD
Kathleen and I have held positions at both Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Monument Health in recent years. In her current role as director of the BHSU Student Success Center, she capably leads projects and a dedicated team in an effective and purposeful manner. Kathleen embraces opportunities to collaborate with others across the campus to further common goals. In doing so, she draws upon and leverages her skills and abilities to positively impact the lives of students!
Sarah Cook CLS, LSSBB
Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis is one the of most dedicated, hardworking, and innovative people I have had the pleasure of working with in marketing and communications. Kathleen never misses an opportunity to help others. For example, my department needed assistance to develop a marketing campaign for a program to launch a tiered safety and quality huddle process. This process was new for the organization, and once a multi-disciplinary team came together, we knew exactly who could help us make this a success. Kathleen took our vague vision and developed a concrete plan and timeline to launch this process across all 5 markets in the hospital system successfully. Needless to say, Kathleen is someone you can count on in a stressful situation and her positive attitude is both contagious and motivating. I would recommend Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis for the position because she is creative, self-motivated, and results-driven. She would be a great addition to any team.
LinkedIn User
Kathleen was a pleasure to work with. She brought a positive energy to the Vidette as one of its leaders during my time working at the newspaper. She was kind, reliable, and as a writer and editor, she had great attention to detail.
Priscilla Romkema, PhD
Kathleen and I have held positions at both Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Monument Health in recent years. In her current role as director of the BHSU Student Success Center, she capably leads projects and a dedicated team in an effective and purposeful manner. Kathleen embraces opportunities to collaborate with others across the campus to further common goals. In doing so, she draws upon and leverages her skills and abilities to positively impact the lives of students!
Sarah Cook CLS, LSSBB
Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis is one the of most dedicated, hardworking, and innovative people I have had the pleasure of working with in marketing and communications. Kathleen never misses an opportunity to help others. For example, my department needed assistance to develop a marketing campaign for a program to launch a tiered safety and quality huddle process. This process was new for the organization, and once a multi-disciplinary team came together, we knew exactly who could help us make this a success. Kathleen took our vague vision and developed a concrete plan and timeline to launch this process across all 5 markets in the hospital system successfully. Needless to say, Kathleen is someone you can count on in a stressful situation and her positive attitude is both contagious and motivating. I would recommend Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis for the position because she is creative, self-motivated, and results-driven. She would be a great addition to any team.
LinkedIn User
Kathleen was a pleasure to work with. She brought a positive energy to the Vidette as one of its leaders during my time working at the newspaper. She was kind, reliable, and as a writer and editor, she had great attention to detail.
Priscilla Romkema, PhD
Kathleen and I have held positions at both Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Monument Health in recent years. In her current role as director of the BHSU Student Success Center, she capably leads projects and a dedicated team in an effective and purposeful manner. Kathleen embraces opportunities to collaborate with others across the campus to further common goals. In doing so, she draws upon and leverages her skills and abilities to positively impact the lives of students!
Sarah Cook CLS, LSSBB
Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis is one the of most dedicated, hardworking, and innovative people I have had the pleasure of working with in marketing and communications. Kathleen never misses an opportunity to help others. For example, my department needed assistance to develop a marketing campaign for a program to launch a tiered safety and quality huddle process. This process was new for the organization, and once a multi-disciplinary team came together, we knew exactly who could help us make this a success. Kathleen took our vague vision and developed a concrete plan and timeline to launch this process across all 5 markets in the hospital system successfully. Needless to say, Kathleen is someone you can count on in a stressful situation and her positive attitude is both contagious and motivating. I would recommend Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis for the position because she is creative, self-motivated, and results-driven. She would be a great addition to any team.
LinkedIn User
Kathleen was a pleasure to work with. She brought a positive energy to the Vidette as one of its leaders during my time working at the newspaper. She was kind, reliable, and as a writer and editor, she had great attention to detail.
Priscilla Romkema, PhD
Kathleen and I have held positions at both Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Monument Health in recent years. In her current role as director of the BHSU Student Success Center, she capably leads projects and a dedicated team in an effective and purposeful manner. Kathleen embraces opportunities to collaborate with others across the campus to further common goals. In doing so, she draws upon and leverages her skills and abilities to positively impact the lives of students!
Sarah Cook CLS, LSSBB
Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis is one the of most dedicated, hardworking, and innovative people I have had the pleasure of working with in marketing and communications. Kathleen never misses an opportunity to help others. For example, my department needed assistance to develop a marketing campaign for a program to launch a tiered safety and quality huddle process. This process was new for the organization, and once a multi-disciplinary team came together, we knew exactly who could help us make this a success. Kathleen took our vague vision and developed a concrete plan and timeline to launch this process across all 5 markets in the hospital system successfully. Needless to say, Kathleen is someone you can count on in a stressful situation and her positive attitude is both contagious and motivating. I would recommend Kathleen Fitzgerald-Ellis for the position because she is creative, self-motivated, and results-driven. She would be a great addition to any team.
Experience
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South Dakota Mines Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement
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United States
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Fundraising
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director of Stewardship and Communication
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Jan 2022 - Present
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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Editor
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Jun 2013 - Present
Edit journal article submissions, reports, book chapters, dissertations, etc. for the Civil and Environmental Engineering Edit journal article submissions, reports, book chapters, dissertations, etc. for the Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Black Hills State University
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United States
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Higher Education
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300 - 400 Employee
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Director, Student Success Center
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Oct 2020 - Jan 2022
• Lead a team of seven professionals who work with different student populations across two locations; build a positive culture by identifying the center’s mission, vision, and values • Manage the center’s budget and develop and implement a strategic plan to increase student retention, improve BHSU’s advising model, and create a student-centered campus culture • Oversee BHSU’s transition to a new student success management system that utilizes early alerts and appointment campaigns; train faculty and staff and create related communications • Design the university’s first formalized tutoring program outside of math and writing • Plan and implement BHSU’s first full-day New Student Orientation events for 600+ people; work with almost every department on campus to launch three successful events; evaluation data shows students and parents had a very positive experience • Organize New Student Registration for 500+ new BHSU students; worked with faculty and staff to run 25 sessions; evaluation data indicates students were very satisfied with these virtual events • Develop multiple action plans as part of the university’s Strategic Enrollment Planning team
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Monument Health
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United States
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Hospitals and Health Care
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700 & Above Employee
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Senior Marketing Specialist
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Oct 2018 - Sep 2020
• Managed internal communications for the largest health system in western South Dakota which includes five hospitals, 32 clinics and 52 specialty centers • Collaborated with caregivers and leaders at all locations to create a positive, thoughtful, comprehensive, and informative weekly e-newsletter for 5,500+ employees • Wrote internal and external news stories to promote the values and people of Monument Health • Proofread digital & print marketing materials, including annual report, to ensure brand standards • Worked with new physicians to craft bios for web site and other marketing materials • Managed digital nurse recruitment campaign and serves as the marketing contact for both nurse and physician recruiting; develops targeted recruiting materials • Wrote and edited copy for web site and assisted with new web site launch after rebranding • Prepared thoughtful written responses for internet reviews and social media comments
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South Dakota State University
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Assistant Director of Nursing Student Services
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Aug 2015 - Oct 2018
• Increased SDSU pre-nursing student enrollment by 27 percent from Fall 2015 to Fall 2017 • Served as the main contact for SDSU Nursing at recruiting events in Rapid City • Advised approximately 400 SDSU nursing students from diverse backgrounds • Served as a consultant to faculty regarding student conduct/mental health issues • Coordinated the tutoring program and student ambassador program • Maintained accurate and detailed data for College of Nursing deans and directors • Served on community boards and attended meetings in the interest of SDSU Nursing
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Black Hills State University
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United States
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Higher Education
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300 - 400 Employee
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Student Success & Career Advisor
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Nov 2012 - Feb 2015
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South Dakota State University
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Intern, First Year Advising Center
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May 2012 - Nov 2012
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Graduate Assistant, Career Center
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Aug 2011 - May 2012
• Support the planning and implementation of job fairs and other Career Center events• Conduct practice interviews, assist students with resumes/cover letters/personal statements• Provide consultation to students regarding career, internship, and graduate school planning• Prepare and give presentations to classes/student organizations regarding career services • Design Career Center brochures
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Graduate Assistant, Ethel Austin Martin Nutrition Program
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Aug 2010 - Aug 2011
• Recruited and communicated with study participants for various research projects, and collected/maintained confidential data• Developed outreach materials and wrote news releases
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National Children's Study
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Brookings, SD
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Interviewer
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Feb 2010 - Jul 2011
• Interviewed study participants and handled confidential information • Completed administrative tasks for the call center and other areas of the study office • Represented the NCS at outreach events • Prepared training materials for and worked with other NCS call centers across the nation • Interviewed study participants and handled confidential information • Completed administrative tasks for the call center and other areas of the study office • Represented the NCS at outreach events • Prepared training materials for and worked with other NCS call centers across the nation
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Northern Trust
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United States
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Financial Services
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700 & Above Employee
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Public Relations Specialist
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Aug 2008 - Dec 2009
• Interviewed company experts and wrote external press releases • Wrote internal news stories for the employee publication • Coordinated interviews with company experts and reporters, and prepared experts with key messages • Monitored the local and national news, and prepared media coverage reports for executives • Interviewed company experts and wrote external press releases • Wrote internal news stories for the employee publication • Coordinated interviews with company experts and reporters, and prepared experts with key messages • Monitored the local and national news, and prepared media coverage reports for executives
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The Student Press Law Center
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Washington D.C. Metro Area
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Staff Writer / Intern
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Jan 2008 - Apr 2008
• Wrote daily news stories for SPLC web site, and wrote in-depth articles for student media law magazine • Tracked/researched cases and legal news that impacts students’ First Amendment rights • Wrote daily news stories for SPLC web site, and wrote in-depth articles for student media law magazine • Tracked/researched cases and legal news that impacts students’ First Amendment rights
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Ogilvy
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United States
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Advertising Services
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700 & Above Employee
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Corporate Team Intern
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Aug 2007 - Nov 2007
• Drafted pitch letters and press releases for corporate clients; maintained media contact lists • Drafted pitch letters and press releases for corporate clients; maintained media contact lists
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COUNTRY Financial®
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United States
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Insurance
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700 & Above Employee
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Media Relations Intern
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May 2006 - May 2007
• Drafted press releases and articles for company web site and employee magazine • Drafted press releases and articles for company web site and employee magazine
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Daily Vidette
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Normal, IL
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News Editor, News Reporter
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Jan 2004 - May 2007
News Editor, January 2005 – May 2006 • Assigned/edited stories and wrote staff editorials • Recruited, hired, trained and supervised news reporters, and led weekly staff meetings News Reporter / Copy Editor, January 2004 – May 2007 • Wrote 3-4 articles per week on deadline, and edited copy using AP Style News Editor, January 2005 – May 2006 • Assigned/edited stories and wrote staff editorials • Recruited, hired, trained and supervised news reporters, and led weekly staff meetings News Reporter / Copy Editor, January 2004 – May 2007 • Wrote 3-4 articles per week on deadline, and edited copy using AP Style
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Grundy County Chamber of Commerce
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Morris, IL
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Public Relations Intern
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May 2005 - Aug 2005
• Built relationships with local newspaper reporters and wrote articles to promote chamber businesses • Built relationships with local newspaper reporters and wrote articles to promote chamber businesses
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Education
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2010 - 2012
South Dakota State University
Master's, College Counseling -
2003 - 2007
Illinois State University
Bachelor's, Public Relations -
2003 - 2007
Illinois State University
Public Relations
Community
