Hamilton, Miami University grad now a VP at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire

A local high school and Miami University graduate was recently hired as vice president of a New England-area college department and credits her old schools as parts of her success.

A 1996 Hamilton High School grad, Joanne Landers is now the vice president for enrollment management and communications for Plymouth State University (PSU) in New Hampshire.

Landers is a Hamilton native and graduated from Miami in 2000.

“Growing up in the Hamilton City school district and attending Miami University had such an incredible impact on my life,” said Landers. “I had some of the most amazing educators who pushed me to be the best that I could be, even when I didn’t see it in myself.”

Landers had previously worked for Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey where she served for three years as the vice president of enrollment management. She was hired after a nationwide search for candidates, said PSU officials.

Prior to Saint Elizabeth University, Landers served as vice president of enrollment services at Tennessee Wesleyan University, as director of admissions at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia, and as the director of admissions at the Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland, Ohio.

PSU President Donald Birx said of Landers in announcing her hiring: “Joanne will oversee the university’s communications efforts, develop strategies to strengthen student retention and work to ensure this year’s enrollment growth continues for years to come.”

“We are excited to welcome Joanne to New Hampshire and to the PSU community,” said Birx.

Landers holds a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in leadership in higher education from Capella University, a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Akron and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Miami.

But her early years in Hamilton Schools — and as a young adult at Miami — were pivotal to her later success, she said.

“I believed in the mission and education of Miami so much that I wanted to help recruit other students to such an amazing place. While working in the Office of Admissions as a student tour guide, I was able to gain insight into a career field I never imagined for myself,” said Landers.

“Now, I am able to use those life experiences and lessons learned to assist and support other students to find their path as they continue on the journey of life.”

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