Ouellette Joins SUNY Plattsburgh Public Relations Team

Ouellette, 40, secured the position following an extensive search that piqued the interest of prospective candidates from around the region and around the state. She previously served as the Learn and Serve/mentoring coordinator at Champlain Valley Family Center in Plattsburgh where she administered the Learn and Serve program, coordinated public relations, wrote press releases, designed communication tools and networked with other groups to plan and implement special events.

Ouellette has experience not only in community and public relations, having also served as director of community relations for the Essex County Association for Retarded Children (now Mountain Lake Services), but also has experience teaching high school in Plaistow, N.H. and in the Navajo Nation in Tohatchi, N.M. and supervising educators at the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity Head Start. She is a contributing writer at the Press-Republican in Plattsburgh and is an avid theater fan, having performed as an actress in local theater productions.

"We are excited to welcome Michelle to our team," said Brendan Kinney, executive director of marketing and public relations at Plattsburgh State. "Michelle brings tremendous energy to the job and believes strongly in the mission of SUNY Plattsburgh. She has the right mix of skills and experience to improve our overall efforts and to launch key initiatives to help raise the profile of our institution."

"I am honored to represent an organization like SUNY Plattsburgh, which is strong in both academic and community service endeavors," said Ouellette. "I look forward to helping others learn about the wonderful things that happen here."

She and her husband, Steve, former features editor at the Press-Republican and now a regional director for Rise Magazine, the nation's leading sports magazine for teens, are the parents of two sons, Ben, 7, and Kurt, 5.