July 14, 2020

Dear UM family, 

Vice President for Enrollment and Strategic Communications Cathy Cole has announced she will depart the University of Montana later this month to join Simpson College as vice president for marketing and strategic communications. Vice President Cole said, “This position suits both my personal and professional goals, and I look forward to this next step in my career.”

During her time at UM, Cathy implemented vital updates to UM’s recruitment, admissions and financial aid processes, and she infused UM’s communications with a creative and distinctly personal feel. She and her team have built a strong foundation upon which the institution will continue its progress building the UM of tomorrow.

We are grateful for Cathy’s hard work during her time at UM and the improvements she has made, and we wish her the very best in this next step in her career. I have great confidence in our excellent teams in Admissions, Financial Aid and Strategic Communications, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we move forward.

Associate Vice President Paula Short will continue to serve as the lead for UM’s communications and marketing efforts, and during this transition period Vice Provost Sarah Swager will serve as the interim leader for UM’s enrollment efforts. Sarah brings strong leadership experience and will provide a steady hand to ensure our continued progress. We will share more information about this transition in the coming weeks.

Seth