March, 28, 2008 Contact: Abe Villarreal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phone: (575) 538-6336 news@wnmu.edu
VILLARREAL NAMED WNMU DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
SILVER CITY – Western New Mexico University (WNMU) has a new Director of Communications, Abe Villarreal. Working with AhrensGarrity Public Relations, an Albuquerque PR firm, WNMU has undergone some recent reorganization. The Department of Institutional Advancement will now hold the new Public Information Office where Villarreal will be stationed. “There is a sense that great things are going to come out of this new team,” commented Villarreal on the recent partnership of WNMU and AhrensGarrity.
AhrensGarrity, whose other clients include the popular El Pinto Restaurant in Albuquerque, has been working with WNMU since the beginning of the academic year. During that time WNMU has implemented new strategies in its attempt to create a unified and consistent message to its target audiences.
Headed by Linda Kay Jones, the Institutional Advancement Office’s main purpose is to promote WNMU by reaching various audiences including current students, prospective students, and alumni. With the Public Information Office now under its wing, Villarreal added that there are many stories to be told about WNMU. “With its rich history and the ongoing plans to add innovative strategies to many of the departments on campus, WNMU has a clear plan for the future.”
Villarreal is a WNMU graduate. He received a Baccalaureate Degree in Business Management in 2005. As a student he served as the editor of the student-run newspaper The Mustang. Since graduating, Villarreal completed a professional internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando. He is co-owner of Gopher Taxi & Courier, Inc., Silver City’s exclusive taxi service.
The new Public Information Office will continue to work with community leaders, the local and regional news agencies, and other institutions of higher education. “Anyone who wants to share a story with us or would like to know what WNMU can do for them can contact my office,” stated Villarreal. A new contact email has been setup at news@wnmu.edu. The office can still be reached at 575-538-6336.
Located in Silver City, New Mexico, Western New Mexico University has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and caters to a student body diverse in age, culture, language and ethnic background.
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