Kristen A. Lainsbury to join Bates College as vice president for communications and marketing

Kristen A. Lainsbury will join Bates College as vice president for communications and marketing effective Oct. 14, 2024, Bates President Garry W. Jenkins has announced.

Lainsbury comes to Bates from Earlham College, where she has served as vice president for marketing and communications since 2021.

“Bates is fortunate to welcome a leader as accomplished as Kristen Lainsbury,” said President Jenkins. “She has a remarkable track record of forging strong and effective partnerships, leading high-performing teams, making data-driven decisions, and serving as a strategic thought partner. Through her extensive experience and deep understanding of both traditional and emerging communications platforms, Bates will be well-positioned to shape how we tell our story to the world.”

Jenkins added, “Kristen is an ambitious and strategic leader whose ability to connect with varied audiences and develop compelling narratives will be invaluable as we continue to share the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and college. I am thrilled to partner with Kristen to elevate Bates’ communications and marketing efforts to new heights, further enhancing the college’s reputation as a leader in higher education.”

Lainsbury, whose undergraduate education and early career was centered in Maine, voiced her enthusiasm for joining the Bates community.

“Returning to Maine and becoming a member of the Bates community is an incredible opportunity. Bates balances the best of the enduring excellence of the liberal arts model with the innovation and forward thinking that is vital to the future of higher education. I am inspired by the college’s capacity for renewal and re-engagement with social justice and to educate students to find purpose in their life and work after graduation. It is a privilege and a joy to come home to Maine to lead a talented team in the work to share the Bates story — widely, strategically, and creatively.”

At Bates, Lainsbury will lead a 14-person team to develop and implement a strategic communications and marketing vision that aligns with the college’s identity and goals. She will work closely with President Jenkins and campus and external partners to ensure a cohesive, authentic, and compelling presentation of Bates’ brand and mission. Her role will involve overseeing all Bates communication channels, including digital, print, social media, and media relations, while strengthening strategic partnerships with Bates Admission and College Advancement to support programs that focus on student recruitment, acquisition, success, retention, engagement, philanthropy, and ongoing advocacy for the college.

At Earlham College, Lainsbury led the college’s marketing and communications efforts, driving a comprehensive, omnichannel strategy that significantly improved brand visibility and engagement. She played a pivotal role in managing crisis communications, overseeing digital marketing initiatives, and guiding high-impact campaigns that boosted student enrollment, including the highest levels of applications since 2019 and, in support of fundraising outcomes, developing a clear and compelling brand narrative to drive the overwhelming success of the college’s recently concluded comprehensive fundraising campaign in June 2024.

Before her tenure at Earlham, Lainsbury held communications and marketing roles with increasing leadership responsibilities at Providence College, where she honed skills in brand development, planning, and team leadership. At Earlham and at Providence College, Lainsbury’s teams won multiple awards from professional organizations, including the Council for Advancement and Support for Higher Education (CASE). From 2008 to 2012, she was a writer and editor for the University of Maine’s flagship magazine, UMaine Today. Prior to joining higher education, she was a reporter, columnist, and copy editor with the Bangor Daily News for 11 years, winning numerous state and regional press association awards. Lainsbury holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Maine and has pursued executive education in management and digital marketing.

The national search for this senior leadership position at Bates College was overseen by a committee composed of faculty and staff, with assistance from The Ward Group, a leading search firm that specializes in communications and marketing.