Sharon Witherell

Background

About Sharon Witherell

Leading IIE's communications efforts on behalf of the Fulbright Program for the U.S. Department of State brings me back to my international education roots and passion for bringing people together across cultures and borders to advance mutual understanding and address shared global issues. We help tell the Fulbright story to the world, celebrate accomplished alumni, and support efforts to promote over international Fulbright opportunities to students, researchers, faculty, administrators, professionals, and artists, and work to engage students, professionals, and higher education institutions of all types. Previously, as director of public affairs and media relations / communications lead at IIE, I worked with 18 offices around the world to promote the impact of the organization’s work. I developed and and executed publicity and public information campaigns, wrote press and public information materials, and provided strategic communications guidance to IIE's senior management, program teams, and clients. I led the messaging for IIE's new branding and wrote bylined pieces for IIE leadership. I began my career at Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations firm, working with worldwide offices on corporate communications for U.S. and multinational companies, including corporate award programs, investor relations, corporate social responsibility programs, and targeted export assistance trade promotion for U.S. products around the world. In between my PR firm experience and starting at IIE, I worked for Catalyst, Inc, a nonprofit organization that aims to advance women in corporate management, managing public relations as well as a corporate membership program and gala dinner. I was a political science major with a concentration in English at Amherst College, and studied abroad at the University of Bath in Bath, England, focusing on communications and government. I am passionate about international understanding and communications. As a communications consultant to IIE, Fulbright, the Scholar Rescue Fund, Americares, and other organizations, I brought extensive experience as a communications, public affairs and media relations strategist and leader with a background in corporate PR agency and nonprofit organizations. I have extensive nonprofit, higher education and media knowledge and expertise in working with corporate, foundation, and government partners and clients to create value and achieve excellence.