Melody Mitchell Named Director of Office of Alumni Events and Public Relations

December 23, 2004

(DeKalb, IL) -- Melody Mitchell has been named Director of Alumni Events and Public Relations for the Northern Illinois University College of Law effective December 1, 2004. 

Mitchell has a well-established history with NIU.  In 1996, she began her career as an academic counselor for NIU’s M.B.A. Program in the College of Business. In 2001, she joined the College of Law as an assistant in the Office of Alumni Events and Public Relations.  Mitchell assumed the role of Acting Director in February of this year, following the departure of Carol Jambor-Smith. 

As Director, Mitchell will coordinate all law school alumni relations events.  In addition, she is responsible for public relations for the College of Law, including development of promotional and outreach materials.  She will also coordinate special legal education programs external to the regular curriculum including continuing legal education seminars and law review symposia.

“We are thrilled to have Melody on board as the Director of Alumni Relations and Public Relations,” said Dean LeRoy Pernell of the NIU College of Law.  “She brings a solid background in both business and academia, as well as loyalty to Northern Illinois University.  Her credentials were a great fit for the position,” he continued.

In the role of Director of Alumni Events and Public Relations, Mitchell works closely with Dean Pernell.  Together they are working to increase awareness of NIU’s College of Law and promote its unique programs to a nationwide audience.  The school was recently ranked in the top ten on two rankings lists compiled in the 2005 Princeton Review of Law Schools.

In September of this year, NIU President John Peters appointed Mitchell to the Presidential Commission on the Status of Minorities.  She was recently elected Secretary of the Commission.  Mitchell is also a former member of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.  In addition, she is a member of the Bench Bar and Programs Committee for the law school.  

A leader in the community, Mitchell serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Children’s Learning Center, a non-profit daycare center in DeKalb.  As a member, she served as chair of the Community Relations Committee for five years.

An alumni of NIU, Mitchell received her B.S. in Marketing in 1993 and her M.B.A. degree in 1996.
 
 
For more information, contact:
Melody Mitchell
Director, Alumni Events & Public Relations
815/753-9655l