July 10, 2023
Contact: Uriah Orland, 573-882-6212, uriah.orland@missouri.edu
University of Missouri officials announced today the appointment of John Denker as vice chancellor for communications and marketing for MU and chief marketing and communications officer for the UM System. Denker’s appointment is effective Aug. 8.
“We’re thrilled to welcome John to the University of Missouri,” said Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri. “His extensive experience in higher education marketing, coupled with his strategic acumen and passion for education, make him the ideal person to lead our marketing and communications efforts. We are confident that his leadership will further elevate the university’s reputation.”
Denker currently serves as interim senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, where he leads institutional marketing and communications for the land-grant, AAU institution. He joined the University of Arizona in 2015 and has progressed through senior marketing roles before serving as vice president of marketing and brand management and ultimately becoming interim chief marketing and communications officer in 2022. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Denker served as the senior director of sales and marketing at The Arizona Daily Star.
In his new role, Denker will lead a division of nearly 100 marketing and communications professionals to shape strategies and drive outcomes that enhance the reputation and visibility of MU, as well as further its position as a leading land-grant, AAU institution and an economic driver for the state, region and beyond. Additionally, Denker will work with communications partners across the university system by coordinating shared goals, messages, issues management strategies, branding and reputation-building for schools and colleges, government relations, advancement, MU Health Care, MU Athletics and MU Extension.
“I am deeply honored and thrilled to join the University of Missouri and the UM System and to work with President Choi — whose leadership set the organizations on an excellent trajectory,” Denker said. “I am excited to share the ways the university improves the quality of life for Missourians, drives successful outcomes for graduates and transforms leading-edge research into practical solutions.”
Denker replaces Kristen Smarr who has served as interim vice chancellor since August 2022. Smarr will return to her permanent position as associate vice chancellor for communications and marketing.
“We are extremely grateful for the efforts and accomplishments Kristen has made with our communications team,” Choi said. “She has aligned our strategic marketing and communication initiatives — working with communications partners across the university system and MU to advance the efforts of our faculty, staff and students on all our campuses.”
