Sprint Marketing Leader Named Emporia State’s New CMO

An Emporia State alumna with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications for a Fortune 100 company is the university’s next chief marketing officer. 

Since graduating from ESU in 2001, Kelly Heine has worked for Sprint where she has gained a wide range of experience including marketing and communication strategy development and execution. Most recently Heine has led a team responsible for marketing, internal and external communication, knowledge management, training, website, social media and events for Sprint’s Wholesale business unit.

“I am so excited that Kelly wanted to bring her years of experience with Sprint back to ESU to move our marketing to the next level,” said ESU President Allison D. Garrett. “Kelly understands all the wonderful pieces of Hornet Nation and the ESU experience that are just waiting to be shared because she herself is a great success story.”

During her time as a student, Heine was active in her sorority and Panhellenic council, was an ESU Ambassador and a student government representative and held on-campus jobs while earning a bachelor of fine arts in communication with a minor in business and a psychology cognate.

The Marketing and Media Relations department at Emporia States oversees the university’s website and social media channels, provides photography and graphic design services on behalf of the institution and for campus departments and works with local, state and national media. A significant project for the department each year is designing the campaign for ESU’s student recruitment efforts.

“I fell in love with ESU as a prospective student, and now I am even more impressed with the incredible amount of positive momentum happening within both the university and the City of Emporia,” Heine said. “I’m thrilled to be able to share how special the Emporia State University community truly is!”

A native of Garnett, Kansas, Heine is married to John and has an 11-year-old daughter, Hallie. She begins her new role June 5.