The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) welcomes Jessica Duren as its new strategic communications director.
Duren will be a part of SHEEO’s Washington, D.C., office and will develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive and multi-faceted communications strategy for SHEEO and its membership. She will provide oversight and direction for SHEEO’s internal and external communications, including website, social media, print publications, and email marketing.
Before joining SHEEO, Duren served as assistant commissioner for communications & outreach for the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development. As a member of the senior leadership team, Duren was instrumental in helping to develop the department’s strategic plan in 2021. She set the direction for the department’s marketing efforts to share the importance of all education beyond high school and the impact of education and training for today’s workforce. Duren has served Missourians in various communications roles with the department since 2014.
Prior to her time at the department, she was a copy editor and reporter for the Jefferson City News Tribune and the editor of three weekly papers in Northeast Iowa. Duren holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Missouri State University.
ABOUT THE STATE HIGHER EDUCATION EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) is the national association of the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education. Founded in 1954, SHEEO serves its members as an advocate for state policy leadership, a liaison between states and the federal government, and a vehicle for learning from and collaborating with peers. SHEEO also serves as a manager of multistate teams and as a source of information and analysis on educational and public policy issues. Together with its members, SHEEO advances public policies and academic practices that enable Americans to attain education beyond high school and achieve success in the 21st-century economy.
