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SCC’s marketing initiatives by “featuring more
photos in promotional materials” and “getting a
close-up look at student life at SCC.”
Over the years, she also aimed to market the
college through increased media coverage and
improved representation of SCC at college fairs
and high school recruitment events.
For students who are already at SCC, Yu revamped
the college website in 2002 for increased
accessibility, easier navigation and improved
content structure.
Among her major accomplishments are starting
the Week Ahead emails that inform students
of upcoming events and important academic
dates and deadlines and developing the SCC
Student Activities and Academic calendars.
Yu has also been a member of President Lee
Lambert’s Leadership Team since she started.
Participating on this team gave her valuable insights
into the management of the college. She
tried to communicate decisions made by this
team to the rest of the campus.
“Judy is a fun and passionate person,” said
president Lee Lambert. “She and I got along
very well.”
While Yu’s main responsibilities were external
relations with the community, she has also
transitioned into improving internal relations
on campus.
“This job has been focused on more internal
communication than I anticipated,” said Yu. She
explained that during her seven years at SCC,
“there has been a lot of change, and consequently,
that required a lot of communication.”
Yu added that her projects require her to
work with many resources. “As the College’s
communications staff, we’re able to synthesize
a lot of information,” she said. “This information
is useful to anyone who has an
interest in the college whether it is the public
or our staff and students.”
Making reference to the departure of former
Director of Safety and Security Randy
Stegmeier, Director of the Parent-Chid
Center Paulette Graham and others. Yu
mentioned that changes in staffing were
coincidental.
“We all arrived around the same time,”
said Yu. “So maybe it wasn’t a shock to see
‘everyone’ leaving. It was just their time like
it’s mine.”
Yu also collaborated with the Student
Body Association to promote student welfare.
She recently worked with Student Body
Advocate Jerimiah Rice on the 2008 Student
Government Survey.
“Students are an integral part of the college,”
said Yu, “and it’s important to include
them in the decisions that are made
at SCC.”
On her role in communicating with the
students, Yu said: “I believe that the administrators
have the ability to connect with the
students and connect to what’s happening
on campus.”
However, she noted that taking two video
production and editing courses at SCC this
quarter has improved her understanding of
student life on campus. Unfortunately not
all administrators can do the same thing
due to the demands of their jobs. Yu commented:
“I am so lucky to have a little time
for professional development,” Yu said.
Before coming to SCC, Yu was a public
relations and marketing consultant for
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus,
Disney on Ice, Nordstrom, the Bon Marché,
Bank of America and the ESPN Extreme
Games.
Yu has also worked at the King County
Sheriff’s office as Sheriff Dave Reichert’s
Public Relations Manager.
Former Governor Gary Locke appointed
Yu to the Board of Trustees at Central
Washington University in 1998. That experience,
she claimed, led to her interest in educational
institutions and improving a focus
on marketing on college campuses.
“I have loved working here, but my leaving
is going to be good for the college,” said
Yu. “I hope that whoever takes over next
will have the same concerns [for SCC] as I
have.”
Yu’s next step is to return to school. She
will be intensifying her study on Internet
marketing to improve practices within her
marketing company, AsiaNet. She will also
be consulting several private parties on
their strategic planning and communications
management.
“During her time here [at SCC], Judy has
made strong contributions to the college,
especially in managing and organizing
marketing research,” said Lambert. “Her
role has been so important, and that is evident
based on how much she has changed
the culture here at the college.”
SCC is currently in the final stages of
hiring an interim Director of College
Communication. A permanent position will
not be appointed until Fall Quarter 2008 because
the SCC Administration has plans to
merge the Public Information Office with
the SCC Foundation, a recommendation
made by Brakeley Briscoe Inc., a consulting
group.
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