St. Ambrose names first Vice President for Communications and Marketing

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - St. Ambrose will welcome Toby Arquette, Ph.D., as its first Vice President for Communications and Marketing on July 5.

Arquette previously served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Business at Aurora (Illinois) University since 2016.

The college said in a media release, St. Ambrose President Amy Novak identified the need for integrating communications and marketing work into the highest level of University leadership after taking over the SAU presidency just under a year ago. Arquette will serve on the cabinet for the college.

“Our Communications and Marketing Office has worked extremely hard to meet the needs of our three colleges and 60-plus graduate and undergraduate degree programs, as well as our many essential student and alumni service departments, including the Office of the President,” Novak said. “What is needed as we assess the future is a leader who can align those many needs with a strategic vision and focus, while also stepping back and thinking globally about the work ahead and creating a campus-wide understanding of brand and marketing strategy.”

Leveraging similar opportunities from Arquette’s time as deam managing the school’s marketing and communications efforts, leveraging digital opportunities to exceed revenue and enrollment targets each year, will be a critical aspect of his leadership as St. Ambrose builds rebranding and messaging into its next strategic plan, Arquette said.

“The depth of his knowledge and the unique breadth of his experience in higher education marketing will be a significant boost to our efforts to implement an innovative strategic plan,” Novak said. “Our focus will always be on serving students in ways that will accommodate the varied ways they learn and best help them shape their future. To do that, we must also be responsive to business and industry needs as we prepare to educate people across their lifetimes. This work, too, requires clear communication and messaging.”

Arquette believes his experience as an educator will make him a more effective administrator in the communications and marketing realm.

“I think of communications and marketing first as storytelling,” he said. “Having worked in academic affairs for most of my career, I have a deep understanding and appreciation of how to promote and achieve student success. Student success at St. Ambrose is the story I want to help the University and the President tell in the coming years.”

In his role, Arquette will direct the Communications and Marketing Office staff and will manage media outreach, and serve as chief spokesman for the University.

“We are excited,” Dr. Novak said. “Toby will bring a fresh perspective to our marketing and storytelling and this elevated position will strengthen campus-wide support for our new rebranding initiative.”

Arquette earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Wayne State University in Detroit in 1996, a Master of Arts in Communications from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 1998, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Communication from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 2002, according to St. Ambrose.

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