[PDADC-L] Staff Announcement - University Relations

To: PDAD&C
From: Judith Wolfson, Vice President, University Relations
Date: September 21, 2010
Re: Staff Announcement – University Relations

It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to announce Rob Steiner's departure from his current role as Assistant Vice President, Strategic Communications to become the founding Director of the Journalism Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs. As the Director of the Journalism Lab, Rob will have a mandate to incubate and develop new models of education in professional journalism that draw on the strength of the Munk School of Global Affairs and the University of Toronto in an era of increasingly specialized and globalized media.
Rob will be leaving his position as Assistant Vice President on Oct. 15. He will, however, continue to work with University Relations on a number of matters and will be available to offer strategic advice on issues of concern until a new Assistant Vice President is in place.

Rob has been a wonderful colleague and an extraordinary and creative leader for the Department of Strategic Communications. As a result of his leadership and the efforts of the staff, our media relations, our web sites, our Brand and marketing strategies, and our internal communications have deepened and grown. Since Rob’s arrival at the University of Toronto in 2005, he has provided invaluable strategic advice on a host of issues and has been a tremendous ambassador and spokesperson for the university in many venues. His courage, creativity and commitment to the university and all it stands for, have defined Rob’s role over the past five years.

I am confident that the Department will continue to advance the range of projects in which it is currently engaged and the new strategies which are under development. Daily operations in the Department of Strategic Communications will report, through the directors now in place, to me until Rob's replacement is in place.

We wish Rob luck in this exciting new project with our enormous thanks for his service in the role he is now leaving.

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Office of the Vice President
University Relations
27 King's College Circle
Suite 216
Toronto, ON M5S 1A1

Phone: 416.978.5401
Fax: 416.978.4431