Renee Kopkowski named vice president for communications
Renee Kopkowski has been appointed vice president for communications, President Peter Salovey announced today. She will lead Yale’s Office of Public Affairs & Communications (OPAC), serve as the university’s chief communications officer, and guide campus-wide internal and external communications strategies.
The appointment is effective April 1, 2023.
Kopkowski, currently vice president for Institute Communications at Georgia Institute of Technology, brings to the role extensive experience in communications at academic and other nonprofit institutions, multi-national corporations, and medical centers.
“With Renee’s leadership, her team has launched communications initiatives to create a sense of community and celebrate the accomplishments of Georgia Tech’s students, faculty, and staff,” President Salovey said in a message to the campus community. “Through effective, strategic storytelling, Renee and her staff have increased the breadth and quality of social and traditional media coverage of faculty research, campus life, and educational programs. In addition, Renee has established internal communications strategies that support institutional goals and priorities and was instrumental in helping the Georgia Tech community navigate the challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic.”
She succeeds Nate Nickerson, who stepped down from the role in September 2022 to become the communications and public affairs partner for Palo Alto-based venture capital firm DCVC. Karen Peart, who has been interim vice president since the fall, will remain in that role until Kopkowski’s arrival. She will then continue her fulltime senior leadership role as the university’s spokesperson and media relations lead.
“I’m honored to step into the role leading the team that shares Yale’s stories, keeps the Yale community informed, and preserves the iconic university brand,” said Kopkowski. “For over 300 years, Yale has contributed to society and shaped leaders who have improved the world around them. Being entrusted to play even a small role in that history is a gift. I look forward to working with the Office of Public Affairs & Communications team and university leadership to continue to build and protect Yale’s exceptional identity and reputation.”
Prior to her appointment at Georgia Tech, Kopkowski served in several high-level communications and leadership roles, among them president and partner of the consulting firm strat-igence, Inc.; senior director of global external communications for Mars, Inc.; and vice president for corporate affairs for Mars Chocolate North America.
“In each of these positions, she led by establishing and implementing a clear vision for internal and external communications, public relations, and marketing,” Salovey said. “She approached both routine events and moments of great disruption by focusing on and conveying the principles and values of her organization.”
Kopkowski serves on the Advisory Board of the Elon School of Communications, the Association of American Universities’ Public Affairs Steering Committee, and the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Clemson University. Her husband, Christopher Kopkowski, is a senior product engineer at BlueLinx, Co., and together they have two daughters, Emma and Samantha.
In his message, Salovey also expressed his deep gratitude to Peart and the OPAC team for their dedicated service during the transition.
Said Peart: “It has been an honor to serve as interim vice president for communications, and I’m deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to lead my remarkable OPAC colleagues during this transition. We warmly welcome Renee, and we look forward to supporting her vision for communications at Yale.”
