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Marketing & Communications Team

Miriam Dance

Miriam Dance

Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications

 (208) 282-4407

 miriamdance@isu.edu

 Administration 264

  • Crisis and Emergency Communications
  • Presidential Projects and Initiatives
  • Key Communicators Group
  • University Spokesperson

Miriam's professional career at Idaho State began in 2008, however, her Bengal roots run much deeper.  She is an ISU alum with a Master of Business Administration degree and two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in Speech Communication and the other in Mass Communication with a public relations emphasis. 

Before joining ISU’s Office of Marketing and Communications, Miriam managed the marketing and recruitment efforts for the College of Science of Engineering for 13 years. Following her time in CoSE, Miriam was an instructor in the University Honors Program and then served as the executive director of marketing in the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Miriam is proud to work with an exceptionally talented Marketing and Communications team that collaboratively leads the University’s efforts to tell ISU’s unique story.  The University depends on the team’s expertise to skillfully publicize the accomplishments earned by students, faculty, staff and alumni as we work together to achieve Idaho State’s strategic goals.

Lee Ann Hancock

Lee Ann Waldron

Executive Director of University Communications

 (208) 282-1679

 leeannwaldron@isu.edu

 Administration 264

Lee Ann Waldron is an experienced communications professional with more than 15 years of experience. She is skilled in news production, marketing, public relations, social media, video production, organization, customer service and content strategy. With the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, Lee Ann is knowledgeable and passionate about the local business environment, creative writing and visual storytelling.

Most recently, she served as senior director of marketing and communications for the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences at ISU. Before that she led a team of social media managers and videographers for Stuart’s Media Group in Chubbuck in developing digital marketing campaigns and shooting, editing and producing monthly marketing videos for real estate clients.

Waldron also worked as a news producer, reporter and production assistant at KPVI Channel 6 in Pocatello and served as the marketing and events manager for the Lewis Clark Valley Chamber of Commerce in Clarkston, Washington, for several years.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and video production from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston and will receive a master’s degree in communications from Idaho State in May of 2024.

Lee Ann and her husband Adam have five children and enjoy hiking, camping and the beautiful Idaho outdoors. She serves as a board member for the Portneuf Greenway Foundation and has played roller derby for the Portneuf Valley Bruisers for nearly 10 years.

Emily Frandsen

Emily Frandsen

Director of Media Relations & Internal Communications

  (208) 282-3164

 emilyfrandsen@isu.edu

 Administration 264

  • Content Coordination
  • Media Inquiries and Interview Requests
  • Internal Campus Newsletters
  • Mass Emails
Photo not available

Niquelle Lewis

Digital Media Coordinator

 (208) 282-3773

 niquellelewis@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Idaho State’s Social Media Presence
  • Digital Marketing and Promotion
  • University Event Calendar

Web Services

Joe Marley

Joe Marley

Web Services Manager

 (208) 282-3517

 joemarley@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Website design and function
  • TerminalFour Training
  • Web Accessibility
  • Search Engine Optimization

Joe has been working on the ISU website since 2008. He has been a designer, developer, and now serves as Web Services Manager. Joe maintains all aspects of the Content Management System and trains all students, staff, and faculty who use it. He gives guidance to the campus community regarding website design, information architecture, accessibility, and search engine optimization. He directly manages over 30 of ISU’s top-level web pages.

Joe graduated from ISU in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music.

Photo not available

Matt Creek

Associate Web Specialist

 (208) 282-4765

 mattcreek@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Top-Level Website Updates
  • Search Engine Optimization

Matt has been with ISU for a little less than 2 years but has been involved in Digital Marketing, Data, and Analytics for the better part of a decade now. His career has spanned multiple disciplines across numerous award-winning agencies and he specializes in (some say monotonous) technical, data-driven tasks. Together with Joe, he actively maintains the University’s Top-Level pages but also assists departments with Forms, Permissions, Analytics, Google Products and general troubleshooting as best he can. 

He is currently working to measure, track and improve the University’s SEO, Digital Accessibility, UX, and Marketing Reporting Systems.  
Matt earned his B.A. from Brigham Young University, Provo and has continued his education, earning certifications in Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, and Web Development. 

Matt enjoys working behind the scenes and understanding the inner-workings of processes to make connections between disparate systems, streamline and simplify work, and (hopefully) make a positive impact in the world. A proponent of life-long improvement, he gets a kick out of learning something new and then applying it to make someone’s life a little easier.

Brand and Creative Strategy

Headshot for Brennan Pickett taken May 2021

Brennan Pickett

Brand and Trademark Licensing Manager

 (208) 282-3905

 pickbren@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Brand Standards and Visual Guidelines
  • Brand Committee (Co-Lead)
  • Licensing Requests and Approvals
Kelsey West

Kelsey West

Design and Creative Strategy Manager

 (208) 282-2564

 kelseywest@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Top-Level Graphic Designs and Strategy
  • Canva Templates and User Access
  • Brand Committee (Co-Lead)

Kelsey West, the Design and Creative Strategy Manager at Idaho State University's Office of Marketing and Communications, brings a wealth of experience to her role, having been with the university since 2016 and part of the Marketing and Communications team since 2022. She specializes in graphic design and marketing, overseeing the university's visual standards and brand identity. Her responsibilities include creating top-level branded materials and managing the brand approval process for non-merchandise materials. Kelsey's creative impact is seen across campus in projects like Holt Arena's exterior design, campus banners, and the Pond Student Union building. Before her current role, she served as the Director of Marketing and Communication at the College of Business, where she led strategic marketing initiatives.

As an alumna of Idaho State University and a first-generation college student, Kelsey is deeply committed to her alma mater's brand integrity and the transformative power of education. Her work in Marcom plays a pivotal role in shaping the institution's image and attracting students to pursue their educational journey at Idaho State University, ultimately leading them toward a brighter future.

Photo and Video Services

Jordon Beesley

Jordon Beesley

Videographer

 (208) 282-2731

 jordonbeesley@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Top-Level Video Production
  • Idaho State’s YouTube
Photo not available

John Roark

Photographer

 (208) 282-3209

 johnathanroark@isu.edu

 Administration 123

  • Faculty and Staff Headshots
  • Marketing Photos
  • Access to the Marketing Photos Database

Johnathan Roark is ISU’s photographer and has been part of the MARCOM team since 2021.

In 2001 Johnathan started his career as Photographer’s Mate in the Navy. Since then, he’s held quite a few different positions including camera technician making 3D camera systems for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s Advanced Imaging Lab, camera operator for ESPN’s SEC Network, and freelance and staff photojournalist for several newspapers. 

Roark graduated from the University of Georgia with bachelor's degrees in journalism and geography. 

University Events and Protocol

Allyson Johnson

Allyson Johnson

Director of University Events and Protocol

 (208)-282-4798

 allysonjohnson@isu.edu

 Administration 264

  • Top-Level University Events
  • Campus Event Planning Standards
  • University Commencement

Allyson is a dedicated and experienced events professional. Serving as the Director of University Events and Protocol at Idaho State since 2008, she plans and executes high-level university events such as Commencement, New Student Convocation, March through the Arch, building dedications, and all other events hosted by the university president. Her expertise and guidance are valuable resources for the campus community.

Allyson is proud to be part of the Bengal family and holds two degrees from ISU. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2005 and completed her Master of Arts in Communication in 2014. 

Elise Barker

Elise Barker

Special Events Assistant

 (208) 282-4177

 elisebarker@isu.edu

 Administration 264

  • University Commencement
  • Special Events Communications