Following a nearly yearlong vacancy, the New Albany-Plain Local School District has selected a new communication leader. Patrick Gallaway will become the district’s Director of Communication on July 1. Mr. Gallaway, a seasoned marketing and communications executive, was selected from a pool of 18 candidates following an extensive search.
Mr. Gallaway is currently the Media Spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), working with local, state and national media to proactively address current education trends, issues and legislation. Prior to his tenure at ODE, Mr. Gallaway was the Director of Communications for former Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner. Additionally, he has held communication roles with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Stonewall Columbus, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the American Red Cross.
“We are delighted to have Patrick bring his expertise and experience in communications, public service and education to New Albany-Plain Local Schools,” Superintendent April Domine said. “As we continue our work to become education innovators, Patrick will lead our efforts to inform and engage our community in our work, help us establish new partnerships, and manage the growing media focus our district is receiving as a result of our work to reinvent education.”
In his new role as Director of Communication, Mr. Gallaway will work with the superintendent and administrative team to develop and manage a multifaceted public relations program, with the goal of ensuring that staff and community are informed and engaged in two-way communication.
Mr. Gallaway holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Organizational Communication, and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, both from the University of Akron. He also worked for his alma mater as an Assistant Director of Admissions. He is active with the United Way of Central Ohio and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), earning Bronze Quill awards from the IABC for his work.
The Director of Communications position remained unfilled during the 2011-2012 school year after the former director, Jeff Warner accepted a similar position with the Columbus City Schools last July. Superintendent April Domine contracted with three part-time contractors to carry out the communication duties while a Communication Advisory Committee conducted an audit of the work to determine how to best staff the department. The district saved nearly $25,000 by using interim help in this area this past year.