GREENVILLE, Pa.—Richard Orr has been promoted to Vice President for Communications and Marketing at Thiel College.
Since joining the College in January 2017 as the executive director of communications and marketing, Orr has strengthened all aspects of Thiel’s marketing and communications efforts. In his first year at Thiel, he worked with campus stakeholders and marketing consultants to clarify the College’s brand, and he has built effective marketing messages and practices to enlarge the College’s reach and market share. He has developed a remarkable team in the Office of Communications and Marketing and, with them, has expanded Thiel’s presence on social media, upgraded the quality of the College’s print materials, including the College’s alumni magazine, and shifted Thiel’s website to a mobile-first and student-centered recruitment platform.
Orr works closely with the vice presidents for Enrollment Management and College Advancement to develop creative communications strategies for external groups, including prospective undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, donors and business partners.
Under his leadership, the Office of Communications and Marketing has been recognized with awards from the Education Digital Marketing Awards and the College & University Public Relations and Associated Professionals. In 2021, the Collegiate Advertising Awards program, an elite national program that honors marketing professionals for outstanding excellence in all forms of advertising, marketing, and promotion specific to higher education services and products, awarded the College a bronze award for its weekly “Make It to May” social media campaign posts and a gold award for the “Join the Fight” vaccination poster series campaign.
Orr volunteers for several professional and community organizations, including his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, where he has long served as Province President. Orr has more than 30 years of experience in public relations and marketing. His career has included work in education, non-profit and corporate marketing communications. He was senior marketing communications manager for AT&T Entertainment Group in Atlanta. Orr is a native of Zionsville, Ind. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Butler University.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.