University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steven R. Angle has appointed Cassie Mathes as the University’s next vice chancellor for communications and marketing. Mathes has 16 years of experience in higher education and most recently served in a similar role at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). She will assume her new duties on April 1, 2022.
The appointment marks the culmination of a transition and search process that began last summer and featured a highly competitive, national search. Mathes will lead a UTC division responsible for a wide range of marketing and communication functions, including brand management, marketing, media relations, strategic communication, crisis communication, social media, design services and WUTC-FM, the University’s National Public Radio outlet.
“I am thrilled to add Cassie to our leadership team here at UTC,” said Angle. “She brings experience, expertise and exactly the energy and vision we need at this moment in our history.”
For the last three years Mathes has served as UNI’s chief marketing and communications officer, with a portfolio and reporting structure similar to UTC’s. She previously served at Missouri Southern State University and Pittsburg State University in Kansas. She started her career as a print and broadcast journalist in Joplin, Missouri.
“My entire career has been dedicated to telling stories that matter,” said Mathes, “and I am so excited to have this opportunity to work with a dedicated team at UTC to strengthen our brand identity and enhance our positioning in an increasingly competitive market.”
Angle praised Mathes’ vision for her role and indicated his confidence in the role she will play on his leadership team: “Cassie will lead a talented team of professionals. I appreciate her thoughtful approach to the work we are asking her to lead, and I am confident that she will empower our people to do great things. I also know that she will be a strong collaborator with colleagues across the campus and in the community as we continue to drive growth and innovation.”
Early priorities for the new vice chancellor will include assessing existing plans and operations and establishing relationships across the campus, within the UT system and in the community. “We have amazing people at UTC, serving phenomenal students. I want our team to be dynamically engaged in attracting students and engaging alumni and other stakeholders in those student stories,” she said.
Mathes and her husband, Daniel, have four children and, she said, “We are all looking forward to this move. We are excited to join the UTC family and making this community our home. We already see why everyone loves Chattanooga, and we can hardly wait to be in the mix as Mocs.”
Mathes holds a B.A. in communication from Missouri Southern State University and an M.A. in Communication from Missouri State University.
