UA announces promotions in chancellor’s office, Jacobs new chief of staff

Laura Jacobs has been named associate vice chancellor and chief of staff for incoming University of Arkansas Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz. She previously worked as associate vice chancellor for University Relations.

In her new role, Jacobs will be responsible for strategic planning, advising the chancellor, serving as a liaison to internal and external constituencies and advancing the institutional vision through special projects. The Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History will report to her.

Jacobs joined the university in 1998 and held several roles with increasing responsibilities, including manager of development communications, managing editor of Arkansas magazine and senior director of strategic communications. She served for more than two years as director of communications at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, then returned to university relations in early 2014 as associate vice chancellor.

Jacobs is a UA graduate with bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in higher education administration.

Several other promotions were also announced this week in the chancellor’s office including that of Marcia Overby to associate vice chancellor for administration. Overby has been with the university for 30 years, working with four chancellors in her 22 years in the chancellor’s office. She will be responsible for office management and budgetary oversight of accounts supporting the chancellor’s office, liaison for special events in Fowler House including managing house operations, and will serve as secretary of the executive committee and continue to prepare items for board of trustees agendas.

Overby holds a doctorate in education and is also a third-generation employee of the university.

Sally Adams was named executive assistant to the chancellor and will manage scheduling as well as correspondence for the chancellor’s office. She has been at the university since 1998, starting her career at the law school before she moved to the Office of Advancement in 2001 and finally to the Chancellor’s Office in 2008. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona.

In the Office of University Relations, Mark Rushing replaces Jacobs as acting director, after serving as director of strategic communications since early 2012. Rushing has 20 years of experience as a public relations executive and broadcast journalist. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the UA in 1993. He also holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Memphis.

Amy Schlesing now serves as acting director of strategic communications for university relations. She will continue leading the office’s science and research communications efforts, including the publication of Research Frontiers, the university’s research magazine and website.

Schlesing worked as deputy communications director for former Sen. Mark Pryor. She has more than 20 years’ experience in print journalism, policy development and communications. She has a bachelor’s degree from the UA and master’s degree from Missouri State University in Springfield.

The university said all of these employment changes went into effect Jan. 1.