University News

Barker Named UR Assistant Director

June 11, 2008

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MACOMB, IL -- Bonnie Barker has been named assistant director of university relations at Western Illinois University, effective July 1, according to Director of University Relations Darcie Shinberger.

Barker has been a member of the University Relations staff since November 1991, serving as a public information specialist. Her primary news assignments are with the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Fine Arts and Communication and the Centennial Honors College. She currently serves on the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Focus Magazine editorial board and the CAS 50th Anniversary committee, as well as the University Marketing Working Group and viewbook committee.

Barker has supervised the University's World Wide Web homepage content and image since 1995, and writes homepage features and copy for selected second-level pages. She coordinates and updates media contacts, and she has streamlined news release and graduation and Dean's List release distribution procedures to make them more efficient and cost-effective. She also has considerable experience working in compliance with the Campus Safety and Security Act (Clery Act), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and in crisis communication.

Prior to joining University Relations, she was co-sports information director at WIU from June 1989-October 1991, responsible for publicizing all of the Westerwinds sports and several of the Leathernecks teams. From July 1977-May 1989 Barker served as the Westerwinds sports information director, and she helped launch the contest that established the nickname Westerwinds in late summer 1977. She began Western's women's sports information program as a graduate student (December 1975-May 1977).

She is also responsible for initiating the use of courtside computerized statistical programs at Western in the mid- to late-1980s, first with volleyball, then with basketball, placing WIU among the national leaders to use the new statistical tools. Barker served as courtside computer statistics director as part of a WIU team of three who worked several NCAA I men's basketball conference championships, providing official statistics and live stats for ESPN telecasts. She also installed statistical programs for event-driven competitions in swimming and diving and track and field. Barker had the opportunity to serve as head statistician and/or head scorer at numerous softball championships, including the 1991 Pan American Softball Trials, the 1990 International Softball Federation World Games and three Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Fast Pitch National Championships.

"Bonnie's years of experience in working with the media, as well as her crisis communication management and higher education marketing experience, will allow for a seamless transition," Shinberger said. "She has been an integral part the University Relations team. Bonnie has successfully promoted the University's programs and services in support of the Western's strategic plan, and she was instrumental in establishing the University's web presence when this mode of communication was just evolving."

As assistant director Barker will be responsible for working with local, regional, state and national media, and will serves as a liaison between campus news sources and news media. She will also respond to inquiries from the media and public concerning University crises, programs and events and will arrange press events. In this role, Barker will be responsible for integrating new media technologies for University promotional and publicity purposes, and will be responsible for maintaining campus crime reports and logs in accordance with federal guidelines.

Barker earned her bachelor's degree and master's degrees in physical education from Western. She is a member of the University Marketing Working Group, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Focus Magazine editorial board, the CAS 50th Anniversary committee and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Barker was on the founding board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of McDonough County and served the board as secretary as well as the media relations contact (1994-1999). She currently serves as chair of a Fellheimer committee through Wesley United Methodist Church, where she has been active with other committees as well.

Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing