“Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are wonderful higher education institutions, and their story really needs to be told to the broader state of Minnesota, the Upper Midwest and around the country,” said Katie Alvino.

After a nationwide search, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University have introduced Alvino as the new vice president for marketing and communication.

The newly created role will begin on Monday, Aug. 2. As Alvino explains, “This position is an incredible marketing opportunity that I could not pass up.”

Alvino brings a strong history of marketing experience and transformational leadership. She has dedicated her career to developing strong brands and building marketing individuals and teams.

“Katie has an exceptional record of working with strong institutions to tell their stories and enhance their national reputations,” said James Mullen, SJU transitional president. “We are all excited about what she will achieve for Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s as we continue to set a national model for other liberal arts institutions in America”

“Katie’s experience in collegiate and corporate marketing are going to make her a valuable asset for CSB and SJU,” said Laurie Hamen, CSB transitional president. “Her ability to communicate in both traditional and contemporary media is unmatched.”

Alvino currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Retail Operations for Student Affairs at the University of Minnesota, where she leads a team of 16 marketing communications and retail operations staff, serving eight retail locations.

Prior to joining the UofM in 2016, Alvino worked for International Dairy Queen as Director of Product and Brand Marketing for Blizzard, Treats and Cakes. She has also worked with Phillips Distilling/United States Distilled Products and Kroger and SuperValu brands.

During her time at the UofM, Alvino and her team created marketing plans for over 350 events per year. She managed brands ranging from packaged goods/retail brands to the UofM system Homecoming brand in partnership with Gopher Athletics. She oversaw marketing operations including: serving 25 clients, creative services (with over 3,000 creative executions each year), omnichannel marketing strategy, consumer research and assessment, social media strategy, paid digital, video, direct mail strategy, email marketing strategy, SEO, CRM, eCommerce, sponsorship sales and web design for four UofM websites.

Alvino’s first challenge will be building and developing a team by integrating marketing and communications roles from across the two institutions. “As we create a unique national model of collaboration between Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s, Katie will be a critical partner in developing brand recognition and communicating our tremendous story of excellent student outcomes,” said Hamen.

“I am looking forward to bringing a marketing and communications team together to do amazing work and tell the CSB/SJU story,” Alvino concluded.