Editor’s note: During Women’s History Month, New College News will be profiling many of the extraordinary women at New College of Florida.
Kim McDonald is the creative director at the Office of Communications and Marketing at New College of Florida. She has worked at at New College for nearly eight years. She was first hired to redesign New College’s website, something she is proud to have achieved in only four months. She was offered the opportunity to stay on as the creative services manager at OCM, and according to Kim, she “hasn’t looked back.”
Until recently, Kim was the only designer on staff, and her colleagues relied on her for most, if not all, things creative. Given her time and experience here at New College, Kim is a reliable source of knowledge pertaining to both the communications office and the institution at large. This makes her a strong leader and mentor to the new staff who come into OCM.
Kim also has experience in corporate communication and marketing. Throughout her career, she has been surrounded by strong, inspiring women — an experience she continues to have here at New College of Florida, given the school’s “diverse, inclusive” culture and values.
As the creative services manager, Kim handles “all things creative,” including publications such as brochures and the biannual school magazine Nimbus, as well as photography and videography for various projects throughout campus.. Kim oversees the creative direction and design of Nimbus. As such, she is in complete control of the layout of each issue of the magazine, and she is also responsible for the overall creative direction of the magazine. Kim excitedly mentioned that a revamping of the magazine is soon to come. It is a project that is in the works and that she and her team will focus on in the near future. She says she is hoping to give Nimbus a “fresh, new look.”
In her spare time, Kim works with her three Dalmatians in various types of training. She works with agility and obedience both competitively and for leisure. Kim identifies herself as somewhat of a nerd, and her ability to work with dogs shows great patience and commitment. Her dogs are very special to her. Some of the most important things to Kim are her relationships, both inside and outside of work, whether it be her colleagues, her family, or her precious pups. Her expertise in design and marketing, as well as her experience and time spent here at New College, make her a valuable asset to the New College community.
— Emma Knadle is an intern in the Office of Communications and Marketing