Lisa C. Stratton of Schenectady
has been named to the position of director of media and public relations at Union
College, it was announced by Daniel
M. Lundquist, vice president for admissions, financial aid and communications.
Stratton will take on a leadership
role in formulating and executing Union's extensive
public and community relations projects, and will serve as the College's chief
spokesperson.
“Lisa Stratton has extensive
experience in communications planning, public relations, crisis management, and
community and media relations,” said Lundquist. “Her skills and experience will
clearly be an asset to furthering Union's institutional
goals as she serves as our primary interface between Union
and the local and national media.
“Lisa will assume a vital role as Union
continues its successful outreach efforts with Union alumni, national and local
press, and the college community at large,” Lundquist added. “Her knowledge of
the region, energy, and well-tuned instincts will add a great deal to our work
in the immediate community and at the national level.”
Stratton was selected following an
extensive national search.
Since 2000, Stratton has served as
communications coordinator and spokesperson for the 10,000-student Albany
City School District,
the largest city school system in the Capital Region. At Albany,
she was responsible for daily communications between the office of the superintendent
and the public and media. Stratton, 39, has 15 years of communications and
public relations experience accumulated through positions in education,
government and the media.
Prior to joining the Albany
City School District, she served as spokesperson and communications coordinator for the Niskayuna
Central School District
from 1995-2000, and the Shenendehowa School
District from 1991-1995. Prior to that, she was
assistant editor for the Legislative Gazette weekly in Albany,
and served as deputy director of Communications for the New York State Science
and Technology Foundation. She began her career as a news reporter for the Hudson
Register-Star and the Capital District Business Review
in Albany.
Stratton has received numerous
state and national awards for her educational communications projects,
including an Award of Excellence in 2002 from the New York School Public
Relations Association for her marketing and public relations campaign for the Albany
City School District's
$176 million building project. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from
the State University
College at New Paltz.
Stratton lives in Schenectady
with her husband, Brian, and their 7-year-old son, Alexander.