Photo by Rebecca Slater '10 / By Rebecca Studios
Beth Halloran, executive vice president and chief advancement officer, announced today the hiring of Toccara Stark as vice president of marketing and communications at ŃÇÉ«Ó°żâ. Stark is an alumna of St. Kate’s, earning a master of arts in organizational leadership in 2009.
“We had a robust pool of candidates, but it was clear that Toccara is the leader we want and need at this exciting point in St. Kate’s story line. We are thrilled to welcome home a Katie.”
Stark most recently served as director of marketing at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. In her two years at Clark, she served as the lead communications strategist for the college. Stark managed the process to refresh the college brand with the goal of unifying all areas of the college, increasing awareness and perception of the brand, building employee engagement, and integrating the strategic plan into brand execution.
Prior to joining Clark College, Stark was a senior communications specialist at Be The Match in Minneapolis. There, she developed and implemented strategic communications plans to increase knowledge and support of National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match.
Stark also brings a decade of experience in agency work at Haberman and Weber Shandwick. Stark handled community engagement and awareness campaigns for clients such as the American College of Surgeons and the U.S. Army Medical Department while working for Weber Shandwick. At Haberman, Stark supervised accounts such as the Minnesota Department of Health, Union Depot, and the University of St. Thomas College of Education, Leadership, and Counseling. Her community health education campaign for the Minnesota Department of Health earned a National Health Information Bronze Award.
Stark earned a bachelor’s degree at Macalester College before coming to St. Kate’s for her master’s degree in organizational leadership. She also holds a doctorate in organization development from the University of St. Thomas.
“I am excited and honored to be coming back to St. Kate’s in this role. The University has always been a special place for me, and I am looking forward to giving back to the school,” said Stark.