After an extensive national search, Lydia Sermons has been named vice president and chief communications officer at Howard University, the institution announced Thursday.
In this role, Sermons will report to President Ben Vinson III and oversee the Office of University Communications, which includes marketing, strategic communications, web design strategy, and editorial storytelling, including Howard Magazine and The Dig.
Sermons holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Temple University, a Master of Arts in broadcast journalism and public affairs from American University, and a certificate in corporate community relations from Boston College.
Sermons’ background includes positions with the White House, federal agencies, U.S. Congress, local government, nonprofits, corporate communications firms, and higher education. She will join Howard after spending nearly two years as vice president of strategic communications and marketing at Spelman College in Atlanta.
Sermons will start her new role on Feb. 12.
“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to return to Washington, D.C., to serve as Howard University’s vice president and chief communications officer,” she said. “Howard University’s profound local and global impact is evident through excellence in academics and a commitment to truth and service that has produced influential leaders and contributed to advancements in all sectors of our society.”
Sermons said she looks forward to joining the Vinson administration and the Howard community “to further amplify the voices and shape the narratives that will continue to elevate this historic university to new heights of relevance, impact, and service at home and around the world.”