Diana Fedinec, Director of Public Relations and Media

Diana Fedinec is the new Director of Public Relations and Media in the Department of Communications, Marketing and Community Relations. Fedinec has over 20 years of work experience in non-profit management in public relations, media relations, communications, marketing and community engagement.

She earned a master’s degree in Communication Studies from Northwestern University in Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in English and Communications from Rhodes College. At Northwestern, she matriculated into the Department of Radio, TV, and Film to pursue a doctorate degree where she taught courses on sociology of the media and studio television production. She was awarded a U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language Areas Studies Fellowship (FLAS) to conduct fieldwork research in Malawi, Africa, on the political economy of the transnational tobacco industry and its media influence on culture. She holds a certificate in Theatre Production from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Prior to accepting her position at Southwest, Fedinec served as public relations manager for 13 years at SRVS, a United Way of the Mid-South agency supporting people with disabilities. Earlier positions included Tennessee marketing coordinator for Keep America Beautiful Affiliate, Keep Tennessee Beautiful, director of development and communications for Memphis Area Legal Services, marketing coordinator for Consumer Debt Counseling, Delta Area marketing Coordinator for Mississippi State University’s Family Resource Centers and director of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service.

Fedinec is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and recent past board member of the PRSA Memphis Chapter where she chaired the PRSA VOX Awards for three years. She is a board member of HEALTH, Inc., a non-governmental organization based in Ledakh, India, supporting health, education and literacy campaigns in the Himalayas. She also serves on the board of Lamplighter Montessori School in Memphis.

Fedinec is passionate about the elderly, homeless and disability causes. She volunteers at Refuge Memphis and participates in volunteer service projects at her church, with the Alzheimer Association and disability organizations.

If you would like to send a word of welcome to Ms. Fedinec, you may reach her at (901) 333-4247 or via email at dfedinec@southwest.tn.edu. Welcome aboard, Diana!