Random Facts:

• Currently serves as the Director of Communication and Public Relations at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
• Masters’ Degrees in Organizational Communication and in English
• Southern fiction aficionado
• Music maven - particularly folk and blues
• Daydreams about getting Krispy Kreme to make gluten-free donuts

Deborah’s ancestors came to Virginia from North Umberland, but she didn’t move to the Commonwealth until January of 2007. She lives in Pittsylvania County in a farmhouse built in 1853 from bricks made on the property. She said she was attracted by the great job, but her friends suspect it had something to do with proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway and several great wineries.

Most of Deborah’s adult life was spent in Memphis, Tennessee, which she misses late at night when the urge to listen to live music overtakes her.

In her role as Director of Communications and Public Relations for the Institute and its research centers, Deborah Morehead serves as the organization’s primary spokesperson. She is responsible for developing and implementing organization-wide integrated marketing communications strategies to ensure that the IALR mission is advanced at the local, regional, and national levels. IALR is an outreach endeavor of Virginia Tech. A versatile communications professional with more than 25 years experience in strategic marketing communications and public relations, Deborah’s Memphis-based marketing and communications consulting company completed projects for a variety of organizations including Best Western, AFLAC, Wal-Mart, Target and all the major fast food chains. Additionally, she has worked with numerous educational institutions and non-profits including FHA, FFA, FBLA and Vietnam Veterans of America.

Deborah has two Master’s degrees – one in Organizational Communications and one in English, both from the University of Memphis. Her undergraduate degree in journalism is from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, MS. An active community volunteer, she serves on the Board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Danville Area where she chairs the Marketing Committee and also is on the Member Services Committee of the Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. Deborah is also a member of the Leadership Southside XV Class, and belongs to several professional organizations including the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the ACE (Association for Communication Excellence) and the CCA (College Communicators Association).