News and Media Relations Team

Rick White

Rick White

  • Executive Director of Strategic Communications, University Marketing and Communications

About Rick

  • Rick leads the UMC communications team in projects ranging from media relations to editing MTU News and Tech Magazine.
  • He enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling, and exploring the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Coby-Dillon English

  • College Marketing and Communications Manager, University Marketing and Communications

About Coby-Dillon

  •  Coby-Dillon leads communications strategy and editorial efforts for the College of Engineering.
  • A former teacher, they previously taught university courses in college composition and creative writing.
  • As a short story writer and essayist, their work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and the PEN/Dau Prize.
Hailey Hart

Hailey Hart

  • Public Relations Manager, University Marketing and Communications

About Hailey

  • Michigan Tech alum
  • Has experience in digital marketing, social media management, project management, content creation, brand development and storytelling.
  • Enjoys spending time outdoors, drinking too much coffee, reading, and being with her family. You can typically find her at a hockey rink at all times of the year.

Karen Johnson

  • College Marketing and Communications Manager, University Marketing and Communications

Specialties

  • Leads marketing and communications efforts for the College of Business and College of Computing. 

Cyndi Perkins

  • Associate Director of Communications, University Marketing and Communications

About Cyndi

  • The former Daily Mining Gazette journalist and editor hails from Houghton and has written for a variety of international, national and regional publications.
  • Specializing in compelling storytelling and cohesive on-brand messaging, the Michigan Tech alumna manages, writes, and edits content across university platforms, from webpages to MTU News.
  • A novelist active in the Upper Peninsula Authors and Publishers Association, the Authors Guild member looks forward to writing more books—and to camping trips in her RV with husband Scott and Goldendoodle Max.
Jessie Tobias

Jessie Tobias

  • Copyeditor, University Marketing and Communications

About Jessie

  • Former newspaper copy editor and proofreader for a major outdoor recreation retailer.
  • Hails from Pinconning, Michigan, and has lived in Western Nebraska and Colorado.
  • Combination word nerd and bookworm.
  • Doting pet parent.

Windy Veker

  • College Marketing and Communications Manager, University Marketing and Communications

About Windy

  • Windy uses engaging writing and marketing strategies to elevate the stories of students, faculty and staff in both the College of Sciences and Arts and the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science with effective, on-brand content and communications.
  • Her professional background includes copy editing for the Daily Mining Gazette and broadcast journalism experiences as a TV6 bureau reporter.
  • She enjoys watching campy horror movies, listening to podcasts and playing table top roleplaying games with her family and friends.